UC-NRLF 


SB    3D3    DES 


CO 

CD 


AGRICULTURE 


IN 


HAWAII 


BY  JARED  G. .SMITH 
Special  Agent  in  Charge,  Hawaii  Experiment  Station 

ISSUED  BY  THE 

Hawaii    promotion   Committee 

Representing 

The  Territory  of  Hawaii 

The  Honolulu  Chamber  of  Commerce 

The  Merchants  Association  of  Honolulu 

HONOLULU,  T.   H.,    1908 


EVENING    BULLETIN    PRINT 


f"J 


CONTENTS 


AGRICULTURE  IN  HAWAII. 

PAGE 

The  Climate  of  Hawaii  5 

The   Soils    6 

Commercial  Fruits  7 

Pineapples    7 

Bananas    9 

The  Chinese  Banana   9 

The  Jamaica  or  Bluefields   10 

Mangoes   10 

Citrus  Fruits  11 

Grapes   12 

Avocados    , 12 

Cocoanuts    13 

Flowers  17 

Bees   17 

Stock  and  Poultry  L7 

Dairying 17 

Poultry  Raising  18 

Stock  Raising 21 

Silk    21 

Field  Crops  and  Industries 23 

Sugar  23 

Coffee 24 

Rice    26 

Sisal   27 

Rubber    30 

Hay  and  Forage  31 

Vanilla    33 

Tobacco    34 

Corn   35 

Vegetables    36 

Sweet  Potatoes 37 

Advantages  and  Disadvantages  37 

M150934 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2008  with  funding  from 

Microsoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/agricultureinhawOOjarerich 


THE  CLIMATE  OF  HAWAII 


Although  the  Hawaiian  Islands  are  within  the  tropics, 
the  climate  is  sub-tropical.  Summer  maximum  tempera- 
tures seldom  range  above  85  degrees  Fahrenheit,  while  at 
sea  level,  winter  minimum  temperatures  never  descend 
below  50  degrees.  The  daily  range  averages  about  thirteen 
and  seldom  exceeds  twenty  degrees.  At  Honolulu  the 
average  annual  temperature  is  74  degrees  Fahrenheit,  with 
a  daily  average  range  of  eleven  degrees.  The  daily  range 
usually  increases  toward  the  higher  elevations.  The  aver- 
age relative  humidity  is  72  per  cent.,  which  is  low  for 
the  tropics,  and  to  this  fact  may  be  attributed  much  of 
the  salubrity  of  the  climate. 

The  climate  is  insular.  The  rainfall,  the  number  of 
cloudy  or  clear  days  per  month,  the  amount  of  wind,  and 
the  humidity  of  the  air,  vary  according  to  the  situation 
in  relation  to  the  mountain  ranges,  or  to  altitude  above 
sea  level.  Frequent  light  local  showers  are  characteristic 
of  the  Hawaiian  climate.  They  often  seem  to  come  from 
a  clear  sky,  and  it  frequently  happens  that  one  locality 
may  be  drenched  by  a  sudden  shower,  while  a  few  hundred 
yards  distant  there  has  been  no  rain.  The  prevailing  wind 
is  the  Northeast  trade,  which  blows  on  an  average  260 
days  in  the  year.  Devastating  winds  are  of  rare  occur- 
rence. There  are  light  breezes  and  ocassionally  a  "Kona," 
\*hich  is  a  severe  Southwest  wind.  November  and  Febru- 
ary are  the  especial  seasons  for  the  Kona  storms.  The 
rainy  season  extends  from  November  to  the  end  of  March. 
Electrical  disturbances  are  occasional  but  not  serious. 

The  rainfall  varies  according  to  the  seasons  of  the  year 
and  and  location.  The  Northeast  and  East  coasts  of  each 
of  the  islands  are  wet,  the  opposite  sides  of  the  islands 
dry.  The  rainfall  in  certain  districts  on  the  dry  sides  of 
the  islands  may  not  exceed  twenty  inches  per  annum, 
while  on  the  wet  side  it  may  average  as  high  as  thirty 
inches  per  month.  The  valleys,  plains,  plateaus,  gulches 
and  mountains  all  have  a  climate  peculiar  to  themselves. 

Honolulu  is  on  the  South  or  dry  coast  of  Oahu.  It  lies 
in  a  land  of  sunshine.  Whatever  the  day,  the  nights  are 
always  cool.  Monotony  is  the  keynote  of  a  sub-tropical 
climate.  There  are  no  frosts,  no  "northers,"  no  tropical 
thunder-storms,  no  hurricanes  or  cyclones.     There   never 


has  been  a  case  of  sunstroke  in  Hawaii.  Hawaii  differs 
from  all  the  rest  of  the  tropical  world  in  that  the  summer 
is  the  dry  season.  The  humidity  is  low  at  all  seasons  so 
that  a  man  can  work  out  of  doors  in  comfort  any  day  in 
the  year. 

One  characteristic  that  impresses  itself  upon  newcomers 
from  the  Mainland  is  the  brilliant  intensity  of  the  sun 
shine.  This  intensity  of  light  is  one  of  the  factors  govern- 
ing the  growth  of  sub-tropical  plants.  Hawaii  is  not  a 
land  of  flowers,  but  the  landscapes  are  gorgeous  because 
of  their  contrasts  of  shades  of  green  on  mountain  slopes, 
plains  and  valleys. 

Any  man  who  has  lived  a  year  in  Hawaii  will  never  be 
satisfied  with  the  climate  any  where  else. 

THE  SOILS 

The  soils  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands  are  mostly  volcanic, 
the  only  exception  being  certain  low-lying  coastal  p^ns, 
of  coral  origin.  The  soils  differ  widely  from  most  of  the 
agricultural  soils  on  the  Mainland,  and  require  different 
treatment.  Their  chief  characteristics  are  their  acidity, 
the  exceptionally  high  percentage  of  iron  and  their  high 
percentage  of  nitrogen.  Most  of  the  soils  are  also  rich  in 
phosphoric  acid  and  potash,  but  these  are  so  locked  up 
with  the  iron  and  other  elements  as  to  be  entirely  unavail- 
able. As  a  general  rule  all  of  our  soils  require  the  use 
of  fertilizers  to  secure  the  best  results.  The  physical 
condition  of  the  soils  is  such,  and  the  prevailing  slope  of 
the  agricultural  lands  is  so  high,  on  many  of  the  islands 
averaging  500  feet  per  mile,  that  irrigation  is  required, 
except  in  regions  with  a  high  average  monthly  rainfall. 
Our  soils  do  not  retain  moisture.  The  average  content  of 
nitrogen  exceeds  0.3%,  or  six  tons  in  the  soil  to  the  depth 
of  one  foot  on  an  acre  of  land. 

The  volcanic  soils  are  all  of  comparatively  recent  geolog- 
ical origin.  They  range  from  primary  disintegration  prod- 
ucts caused  by  the  decomposition  of  lava,  ashes  and 
volcanic  mud  in  the  spot  where  originally  laid  down  to 
those  of  a  semi  alluvial  nature — the  wash  and  wind-drift 
of  the  coastal  plains, — all  modified  by  days  or  centuries 
of  fern  and  forest  growth. 

The  windward  soils  are  abnormally  rich  in  nitrogen  but 
it  is  tied  up  in  such  a  form  that  the  leaching  of  nitrates 
proceeds  very  slowly, — almost  not  at  all.  The  lime  con- 
tent is  very  low,  that  of  magnesium  very  high.    The  silicon 


PINEAPPLE  PLANTATION 
near  Honolulu 


is  low,  titanium  high,  while  iron  and  manganese  are  often 
so  abundant  that  the  soils  approach  ores  of  these  minerals 
in  their  composition. 

Hawaiian  soils  respond  quickly  to  the  application  of 
organic  and  inorganic  fertilizers,  and,  like  all  other  new 
soils  improve  under  rational  cultivation. 

COMMERCIAL  FRUITS 

PINEAPPLES.  Over  3,000  acres  are  now  planted  in 
pineapples,  and  it  is  estimated  that  there 
will  be  at  least  10,000  acres  in  bearing  within  five  years. 
The  industry  is  on  a  very  profitable  basis.  Large  areas  of 
land  are  still  available,  and  there  is  no  immediate  proba- 
bility of  overproduction  as  the  markets  of  the  United 
States  will  absorb  unlimited  quantities,  not  only  of  the 
fresh  but  of  the  canned  fruit.  There  are  pineapple  lands 
on  all  of  the  islands.  The  requirements  are  good  drainage, 
shelter  from  winds,  and  a  rainfall  from  forty  to  eighty 
inches  per  annum,  although  the  pines  grow  to  perfection 
with  double  or  treble  the  maximum  here  stated.  The 
plants  grow  better  on  the  red  soils  than  on  the  brown  or 
black.  The  best  areas  thus  far  brought  into  cultivation 
are  at  from  400  to  1200  feet  above  sea  level. 

Clean  cultivation  is  practiced.  The  land,  if  virgin  sod, 
is  plowed,  cross  plowed  and  harrowed,  and  is  planted  with 
suckers  or  tops.  The  plants  are  set  at  the  rate  of  from 
4,000  to  10,000  per  acre.  Three  methods  of  planting  are  in 
vogue.  Where  the  object  is  to  grow  fresh  fruit  for  ship- 
ment the  plants  are  set  out  in  rows  six  feet  apart,  20  to 
24  inches  in  the  row,  or  at  the  rate  of  about  3,600  plants 
per  acre.  This  distance  between  the  rows  permits  the 
cultivation  of  the  crop  with  horse  labor,  and  machinery, 
and  leads  to  the  production  of  large  attractive  fruits. 
The  plants  set  out  at  this  wide  distance  often  produce 
fruit  averaging  from  six  to  nine  pounds.  For  canning 
purposes  smaller  fruits  are  more  desirable.  The  plants 
are  set  two  feet  apart  in  rows  four  feet  apart,  at  the  rate 
of  about  6,000  plants  per  acre,  or  in  rows  2y2  by  two  feet, 
requiring  from  8,000  to  10,000  plants  to  an  acre.  In  either 
of  the  closer  methods  of  planting  it  is  necessary  to  leave 
road-ways  through  the  plantation  for  convenience  in  gather- 
ing the  fruit.  If  there  is  a  good  stand  and  the  plants 
are  in  a  healthy  condition,  about  ninety  percent  may  be 
counted  on  to  bear  fruit  in  from  eighteen  to  twenty-four 
months  after  the  plants  are  set  in  the  field. 


_8 

Where  an  acre  of  land  is  planted  with  6,000  pines,  the 
first  crop  will  average  about  ten  tons.  The  second,  or 
ratoon  crop,  will  be  somewhat  higher  because  many  of 
the  plants  produce  two  suckers  which  bear  fruit.  The 
yield  of  the  ratoon  crop  of  pines  has  run  as  high  as  twenty 
tons  per  acre  under  exceptionally  favorable  conditions. 

The  cultivation  consists  in  keeping  the  soil  between  the 
rows  in  good  condition  and  free  from  weeds.  The  pine- 
apple is  a  crop  that  gives  best  results  with  perfectly  clean 
cultivation.  Where  the  plants  are  set  in  rows  four  feet 
apart,  all  of  the  cultivation  for  the  first  twelve  to  fifteen 
months  may  be  done  with  horse  labor.  When  the  plants 
flower,  and  as  they  begin  to  ripen  their  fruits,  the  leaves 
of  the  plant  spread  out  so  that  it  is  no  longer  possible  to 
take  machinery  between  the  rows,  and  after  that  time 
hand  labor  is  necessary.  The  cost  of  production,  provided 
the  plants  can  be  secured  at  a  reasonable  figure,  is  less 
than  $15  per  ton  of  fruit,  and  in  some  cases,  less  than 
$10  per  ton.  Cannery  prices  for  the  fruit  range  from  $20 
to  $27  per  ton.  If  the  fruit  is  shipped  fresh  to  the  Pacific 
Coast  or  Eastern  markets,  prices  as  high  as  from  $200  to 
$240  per  ton  may  be  realized. 

The  variety  of  pineapples  chiefly  cultivated  is  the  Smooth 
Cayenne,  although  the  Red  Spanish,  a  smaller  and  more 
woody  variety,  finds  favor  with  some  growers.  The  quality 
of  the  Hawaiian  pineapples  is  superior  to  that  of  any  other 
pineapples  which   reach  the  American  market. 

The  Hawaii  Experiment  Station  has  conducted  a  num- 
ber of  shipping  experiments  with  this  fruit.  Enough  has 
been  done  to  show  that  fruit  which  is  carefully  handled 
and  packed,  will  stand  shipment  at  least  5,000  miles. 

The  1907  crop  of  Hawaiian  pineapples  is  valued  at  more 
than  $500,000,  and  it  is  estimated  that  the  crop  of  1912 
will  amount  to  100,000  tons  or  more.  Pineapple  cultiva- 
tion affords  a  wide  field  to  practical  agriculturists  both  in 
the  growing  and  marketing  of  the  fruit.  The  markets  for 
our  product  are  world  wide,  and  are  capable  of  almost 
indefinite  expansion.  The  principal  Hawaiian  crop  ripens 
from  June  until  September,  a  period  during  which  there 
are  no  other  pineapples  in  the  American  market.  There 
is  a  second  crop  from  November  to  February. 

There  are  ten  or  twelve  canneries  now  in  operation  in 
Hawaii  and  other  in  process  of  construction,  or  to  be  built 
during  the  coming  season.  Large  areas  of  land  are  avail- 
able for  the  cultivation  of  this  crop.  Lands  may  be  leased 
at  from  $5  to  $20  per  acre,  or  can  be  purchased  at  from 


$75  to  $500  per  acre.  The  demand  for  the  canned  fruit 
is  greater  than  it  has  been  possible  to  supply,  on  account 
of  the  superior  quality  of  the  pines,  and  it  is  probably 
that  this  demand  will  continue  to  increase  for  a  good 
many  years  to  come. 

BANANAS.  Bananas  require  a  rich  soil,  abundant  rain- 
fall, or  irrigation  in  connection  with  a  good 
drainage  and  protection  from  high  wind.  While  there  are 
more  than  forty  varieties  of  bananas  in  cultivation  in 
Hawaii,  only  two  of  these  are  of  commercial  importance. 
These  are  the  Cavendish,  or  Chinese  dwarf  bananas,  and 
the  Jamaica,  or  Bluefields.  There  are  a  number  of  table 
varieties  such  as  the  Apple,  the  Lady-finger,  the  Jamaica 
red,  and  the  Brazilian,  the  ripe  fruit  of  which  is  considered 
much  better  than  that  of  either  the  Cavendish  or  the 
Bluefields.  These  table  varieties  and  a  number  of  native 
cooking  bananas  find  a  considerable  market  locally.  Some 
of  these  will  undoubtedly,  in  the  course  of  time,  become 
popular  on  the  mainland. 

The  Chinese 

Banana  is  the  one  most  largely  grown.     It  is 

propagated  by  means  of  suckers  or  off- 
shoots which  spring  from  the  base  of  the  plant.  These 
are  removed  and  transplanted  direct  to  the  place  where 
they  are  to  grow.  The  suckers  are  usually  set  at  intervals 
of  about  ten  feet  each  way.  The  ground  should  be  plowed 
and  put  in  good  condition  before  the  bananas  are  set  out, 
but  if  plowing  is  not  practicable  the  suckers  are  set  in 
holes  two  to  four  feet  across  and  two  feet  deep,  the  holes 
being  filled  with  surface  soil,  rotten  leaves,  or  soil  mixed 
with  manure.  The  banana  fruits  in  from  fifteen  to  twenty- 
four  months  from  the  time  of  planting.  Each  plant  bears 
only  one  bunch  of  bananas.  When  the  bunch  has  matured 
the  tree  is  cut  down,  and  one  or  two  of  the  suckers  which 
have  matured  at  its  base,  are  allowed  to  replace  it.  In 
this  way  there  is  always  a  succession  of  banana  plants 
coming  on.  A  number  of  crops  may  be  harvested  from 
a  single  planting,  although  it  is  a  matter  of  dispute  among 
growers  as  to  how  long  this  suckering  may  be  permitted 
without  replanting. 

The  Chinese  dwarf  banana  yields  from  700  to  900 
bunches  per  acre  per  annum.  On  new  land  the  bunches 
are  large  and  full,  and  the  growth  of  the  plants  rapid  and 
vigorous.     Continued  cultivation  of  bananas  on   the  same 


10 

land  for  a  number  of  years  tends  to  decrease  the  produc- 
tion through  diminishing  the  size  of  the  bunches. 

The  Jamaica 

or  Bluefield  This  was    introduced    into   Hawaii   in 

Banana.  1903.    It  is  the  chief  banana  of  the  Ameri- 

can trade.  It  stands  shipping  better  than 
the  Cavendish,  as  the  bunches  require  no  wrapping.  The 
fruits  are  larger,  well  placed  on  the  bunch  for  convenient 
handling,  and  the  bunch  itself  is  larger  and  more  compact 
than  that  of  the  Chinese,  or  Cavendish  variety.  The  plant 
is  larger  than  the  Chinese  and  requires  about  twenty-four 
months  to  begin  bearing.  The  Jamaica  has  not  been  cuxti- 
vated  in  Hawaii  long  enough  to  say  what  the  yield  per  acre 
will  be. 

The  Chinese  banana  can  be  produced  at  a  profit  at  fifty 
cents,  per  bunch.  This  price  includes  the  wrapping  with 
hay  or  dead  banana  leaves.  The  cost  of  shipment  to  San 
Francisco  is  about  thirty-five  cents  per  bunch,  so  that  if 
the  banana  sells  in  the  San  Francisco  market  for  $1.00, 
there  is  a  small  margin  of  profit.  The  price  often  ranges* 
as  high  as  from  $1.75  to  $2.50  per  bunch;  and,  of  course, 
at  such  prices  the  business  is  extremely  profitable. 

The  banana  is  a  cheap  fruit,  the  market  for  which  de- 
pends largely  upon  the  abundance  or  scarcity  of  apples 
and  other  cheap  fruits.  When  there  is  a  shortage  in  the 
apple  crop  the  market  is  good  and  the  prices  high,  so  that 
there  is  a  considerable  margin  of  profit.  If,  however,  there 
is  a  glut  of  deciduous  fruits,  the  demand  for  bananas  almost 
invariably  falls,  so  that  the  margin  of  profit  diminishes. 
There  is  a  good  opening  in  Hawaii  for  the  cultivation  of 
bananas  by  any  one  having  experience  in  the  growing 
and  especially  in  the  handling  and  marketing  of  fruits. 
While  competition  is  sometimes  keen,  there  is  a  possi- 
bility of  any  one  having  business  ability,  working  up  a 
good  trade  in  this  fruit,  the  cultivation  of  which  is  not 
at  all  difiicult. 

MANGOES.  The  mango  has  been  called  the  king  of 
the  tropical  fruits.  With  its  unique  forms, 
rich  coloring,  and  luscious  taste,  it  is  certainly  deserving 
of  the  high  rank  thus  conferred  upon  it.  The  mango  is 
a  large,  well  shaped  tree,  which  grows  best  in  good  soil 
with  abundant  moisture.  Its  dark  green  foliage  and  com- 
pact habit  of  growth  make  it  one  of  the  most  prominent 
trees  in   any  tropical   landscape.     While  the  mango  is  a 


MANGOES,  {%  Natural  Size) 


11 

native  of  India,  it  is  now  widely  distributed  through  all 
tropical  lands.  The  mango  is  propagated  from  seed,  and 
by  inarching  and  budding.  As  in  many  other  cultivated 
fruits,  the  seeds  do  not  come  true,  so  that  the  oniy  sure 
way  of  getting  an  orchard  of  a  given  variety  is  to  bud  or 
graft.  In  Hawaii  the  mango  usually  flowers  in  January, 
or  from  December  to  March,  depending  somewhat  upon 
the  condition  of  the  weather  and  the  location  of  the  trees 
in  relation  to  elevation  above  sea  level.  The  mango  season 
lasts  from  about  June  until  August. 

For  home  use  the  fruit  is  allowed  to  ripen  upon  the 
tree,  but  for  marketing  purposes  it  is  necessary  to  gather 
the  fruit  while  yet  firm.  If  picked  when  full  grown  its 
excellent  flavor  is  retained.  The  mango  ships  well  in 
cold  storage.  The  Hawaii  Experiment  Station  has  made 
successful  shipments  to  New  York  and  to  Manila.  They 
are  commonly  shipped  from  the  West  Indies  to  London, 
and  even  from  India  to  the  same  market,  arriving  in  good 
condition.  If  picked  without  bruising,  properly  packed, 
and  transferred  direct  to  cold  storage,  the  mango  can  be 
shipped  to  any  point  which  can  be  reached  within  from 
30  to  35  days  from  the  point  of  origin. 

The  varieties  of  mangoes  are  very  numerous.  There 
are  said  to  be  over  500  in  India  alone.  Where  this  fruit 
tree  is  propagated  from  seedlings,  new  forms  are  con- 
stantly arising. 

The  rarer  varieties  of  mangoes,  especially  the  so-called 
Indian  and  Manila  strains,  and  some  of  the  improved  sorts 
which  have  been  introduced  from  the  West  Indies  find 
a  very  ready  market  locally,  selling  at  good  prices;  and 
it  is  believed  that  the  returns  from  systematic  mango  cul- 
tivation would  be  large,  even  were  the  grower  to  depend 
wholly  on  the  local  trade  and  not  attempt  to  ship  to  the 
mainland  markets.  The  New  York  market  receives  con- 
siderable shipments  of  mangoes  every  year  from  the  West 
Indies  and  Southern  Florida.  There  is  a  growing  demand 
for. this  fruit  in  the  markets  of  the  Pacific  Coast.  The 
tree  begins  to  bear  in  from  five  to  seven  years  from  seed. 

CITRUS  FRUITS  Citrus  fruits  have  been  cultivated 
in  Hawaii  for  more  than  one  hundred 
years.  The  records  of  Vancouver's  voyages  show  that  that 
explorer  gave  some  orange  plants  to  one  of  the  Hawaiian 
chiefs  in  1792,  and  both  orange  and  lemon  trees  were 
set  out  on  the  island  of  Niihau  at  about  that  date.  Fre- 
quent introductions  have  been  made  since  the  first,  com- 


12 

ing  from  the  islands  to  the  southward,  Tahiti  and  Samoa, 
and  many  more  recent  introductions  having  been  made 
from  all  citrus  growing  countries.  All  of  the  citrus  fruits 
have  found  a  congenial  home  in  Hawaii,  but  while  there 
are  orange,  lemon,  lime  and  pomelo  trees  in  almost  every 
home  garden,  but  little  has  been  done  in  the  way  of  syste- 
matic orchard  cultivation. 

When  properly  cared  for  and  fertilized,  some  of  the 
native  orange  trees  produce  fruits  of  perfect  flavor.  Never- 
theless, the  yearly  importations  into  Honolulu  of  oranges 
and  lemons  alone  amounts  to  over  $50,000.  The  citrus 
fruits  are  amenable  to  orchard  cultivation,  although  as  a 
rule  but  very  little  scientific  cultivation  has  ever  been 
applied  to  these  trees  in  Hawaii.  The  local  field  is  a 
large  one  and  the  rewards  of  a  successfully  established 
orange  or  lemon  orchard  should  be  sufficient  to  be  attrac- 
tive to  any  horticulturist  who  understands  the  growing, 
harvesting  and  marketing     of  citrus  fruits. 

GRAPES.  Grapes  have  been  cultivated  in  Hawaii  ever 
since  the  first  Portuguese  settlers  arrived,  but 
the  industry  has  only  just  begun  to  attain  commercial 
proportions.  There  are  two  wineries  in  successful  opera- 
tion and  plenty  of  room  for  others.  Because  of  the  equible 
climate,  and  the  absence  of  frost,  the  vine  can  be  made 
to  fruit  at  almost  any  season  of  the  year,  by  pruning. 
The  main  crop  comes  in  the  autumn,  but  there  is  hardly 
a  month  when  grapes  are  not  obtainable  in  the  Honolulu 
market. 

There  is  a  good  opening  for  the  cultivation  of  table 
grapes  to  supply  the  Pacific  coast  markets  during  the  six 
months  of  the  year  from  December  to  June.  It  is  believed 
that  any  one  who  understands  the  cultivation  of  this  crop 
who  will  undertake  grape  raising  on  a  fairly  large  scale 
and  on  suitable  land  cannot  fail  to  realize  large  returns. 

The  yields  of  grapes,  where  these  are  grown  for  wine 
making,  have  been  considered  satisfactory,  and  the  indus- 
try is  expanding  quite  rapidly.  The  wines  are  mainly  of 
the  Madeira  type.  There  is  a  large  local  market  for  cheap 
wines  among  the  Portuguese,  Hawaiian,  Spanish  and  Japa- 
nese population,  so  that  there  is  room  for  building  up  a 
considerable  wine  industry  in  Hawaii. 

AVOCADOS.        The  avocado,  or  alligator  pear,  is  a  tropi- 
cal fruit  for  which  the  demand  is  constantly 
increasing  in  the  mainland  markets.     The  tree  is  of  medi- 


ALLIGATOR  PEARS,  |  '    .Natural  Size!  ' 


13 

um  height;  and  a  rapid  grower,  producing  fruits  within 
four  or  five  years  from  seed.  The  trees  continue  fruit 
production  for  many  years.  The  avocado  responds  readily 
to  care  and  cultivation,  these  having  an  influence  on  not 
only  the  size  and  number  of  fruits  but  a  very  marked  in- 
fluence on  Its  flavor. 

The  Hawaii  Experiment  Station  has  made  a  number  of 
shipping  experiments  with  this  fruit  and  has  demonstrated 
that  the  avocado  may  be  shipped  in  cold  storage,  if 
properly  packed,  to  any  market  in  direct  ocean  communi- 
cation with  Hawaii.  These  fruits  sell  in  the  Honolulu 
markets  at  from  five  to  twenty  cents  each  and  in  the  San 
Francisco  markets  from  $2.50  to  $4.00  per  dozen,  the  de- 
mand especially  in  the  latter  market,  being  usually  greater 
than  the  supply. 

The  avocado  is  a  salad  or  breakfast  fruit  and  is  not 
suitable  for  eating  out  of  hand.  The  flesh  is  oily,  with  a 
delicate  nutty  flavor.  The  fruits  are  cut  in  half,  length- 
ways, the  large  seed  removed,  and  the  flesh  is  eaten  with 
a  spoon  after  being  dressed  with  salt  and  pepper,  or  vine- 
gar, or  sugar.  It  is  very  excellent  in  salads,  either  alone 
or  in  combination  with  other  fruits,  celery  or  nuts.  It  is 
also  prepared  in  cocktails  with  various  sauces  or  is  eaten 
with  soups.  Anyone  who  has  acquired  the  taste  for  the 
avocado  will  never  tire  of  eating  this  healthful  fruit. 

There  are  many  openings  for  the  cultivation  of  the 
avocado  commercially  on  an  orchard  scale.  The  trees 
often  bear  from  200  to  500  fruits,  which,  if  of  a  good 
variety,  are  salable  in  the  Honolulu  market  for  an  average 
of  6  cents  to  10  cents  each  on  the  tree.  The  tree  is  readily 
propagated  by  both  budding  and  grafting.  There  are  up- 
wards of  40  varieties  of  avocados  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands, 
including  many  of  the  best  varieties  grown  in  other  trop- 
ical lands. 

The  tree  requires  rich  soil,  a  fair  amount  of  water  and 
protection  from  winds.  It  grows  and  fruits  in  all  districts 
of  the  Islands  from  sea-level  up  to  about  1800  feet. 

COCOANUTS.  While  the  cocoanut  is  one  of  the  few 
species  of  palms  native  of  Hawaii,  being 
widely,  but  somewhat  sparsely,  scattered  along  all  the 
coast  lines  of  the  group,  its  cultivation  on  an  extended 
scale  does  not  date  back  of  1904  or  1905.  Renewed  in- 
terest in  the  cultivation  of  this  extremely  useful  tree  is 
due  in  a  large  measure  to  the  rapid  increase  in  the  demand 
for  the  oil  and  fibre.     The  value  of  cocoanut  oil  has  long 


14 

been  recognized  for  soap  making  and  as  an  illuminant. 
Cocoanut  oil  is  the  basis  of  a  number  of  patented  food 
compounds  and  butter  substitutes,  finding  for  the  latter 
purpose  an  enormous  sale  within  the  tropics,  because  the 
melting  point  of  the  so-called  "butter"  manufactured  from 
it,  is  higher  than  for  either  pure  butter,  or  any  of  the 
oleomargarine  compounds  manufactured  from  animal  fat. 
Not  only  is  there  a  more  or  less  legitimate  field  for  the 
sale  of  artificial  butter  made  from  cocoanut  oil  in  hot 
countries,  but  its  use  as  an  adulterant  is  said  to  be  prac- 
ticed on  an  enormous  scale  in  Denmark  and  other  Europe- 
an countries  where  dairying  is  an  important  industry. 
Cocoanut  oil  is  being  rapidly  displaced  aCs  an  illuminant 
by  the  cheaper  petroleum.  A  characteristic  of  the  oil  is 
that  it  burns  without  smoking. 

The  value  of  the  by-products,  after  the  extraction  of 
the  oil  from  the  copra,  is  also  rapidly  increasing.  Cocoa- 
nut  meal  is  becoming  recognized  as  a  concentrated  feed 
of  high  value,  and  as  an  organic  fertilizer  equal  to  cotton 
seed  meal. 

Coir,  the  fibre  of  the  husk  of  the  cocoanut,  is  in  itself 
a  valuable  product.  This  fibre  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
ropes  and  cordage  and  is  woven  into  bagging  and  matting. 
The  stiff,  harsher  fibres  obtained  from  the  leaf  stalk  and 
from  the  mid-rib  are  used  in  the  manufacture  of  all  classes 
of  brushes.  In  oriental  lands  the  leaves  provide  materials 
for  thatch  and  the  trunks  for  house  and  bridge  construc- 
tion. 

Another  product  of  the  cocoanut,  not  as  yet  utilized  in 
Hawaii,  is  in  the  manufacture  of  a  liquor  or  alcoholic  bever- 
age by  fermentation  of  the  sap  obtained  by  bleeding  the 
inflorescence.  Elsewhere  in  the  tropics  the  cultivation  of 
the  cocoanut  for  this  purpose  alone  utilizes  groves  of 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  acres  in  extent.  Sugar  was 
formerly  made  from  this  sap  in  large  quantities,  and  even 
now  the  natives  of  many  outlying  tropical  districts  obtain 
the  family  sugar  supply  from  this  source. 

The  food  value  of  the  meat  of  the  cocoanut  has  long 
been  recognized.  The  shredded  nut  dried,  with  or  without 
the  addition  of  sugar,  is  used  by  housewives  and  con- 
fectioners the  world  over. 

The  cocoanut  tree  is  a  native  of  the  tropics  and  is  not 
known  to  occur  at  a  distance  of  more  than  28  degrees 
north  or  south  of  the  Equator.  It  is  at  its  best  farther 
to  the  south  than  Hawaii.  While  the  tree  has  largely 
been  considered  a  sea  shore  plant,  and  while  many  authori- 


RICE,  BANANAS  AND  COCOANUTS 


"•  •      •  •.• 


15 

ties  have  considered  that  salt  water  was  essential  to  its 
most  perfect  development,  recent  cultural  experiments 
have  demonstrated  that  a  much  more  vigorous  and  pro- 
ductive  growth   may  be  obtained   far  inland. 

The  cocoanut  tree  demands  above  all  things  good  drain- 
age. It  thrives  neither  in  swamps  nor  on  rock.  The 
roots  are  thick,  fleshy  fibres,  there  being  no  tap  root. 
The  roots  seem  to  be  especially  adapted  for  the  storage 
of  considerable  quantities  of  water,  but  wherever  they 
reach  the  level  of  permanent  standing  water,  or  wherever 
stagnant  waters  rise  above  the  level  of  roots  already 
formed,  these,  rot  and  the  tree  sends  out  new  and  shorter 
roots  only  as  far  as  the  perfectly  drained  and  well  aerated 
soil  extends.  The  tree  is  a  heavy  feeder,  requiring  culti- 
vation and  fertilization,  giving  best  results  where  these 
can  be  augmented  by  irrigation  or  abundant  rainfall. 

Another  factor  is  that  the  tree  grows  best  in  windy 
locations.  Specimen  trees  in  sheltered  valleys,  where 
the  wind  never  strikes  them,  are  more  liable  to  be  spind- 
ling and  unhealthy.  The  requirements  of  the  cocoanut 
may  be  summed  up  in  having  light  and  room  in  windy 
locations,  where  the  soil  is  rich  and  well  drained,  and 
there  is  abundant  artificial  or  natural  irrigation. 

In  planting  the  cocoanut  only  the  ripe  nuts,  carefully 
collected,  from  neither  very  young  nor  very  old  trees, 
should  be  taken.  Nuts  intended  for  planting  should  not 
be  dropped  or  thrown  from  the  tree,  for  if  the  shell  is 
cracked  within  the  husk  germination  will  not  take  place. 
The  husk  contains  enough  moisture  for  germination,  pro- 
vided the  seed  bed  is  moist  and  half  shaded.  In  drier 
locations  the  nuts  should  be  planted  on  their  sides  and 
partially  covered  with  loose,  mellow  earth,  leaving  about 
two  inches  of  their  surface  exposed.  The  seed-beds  thus 
prepared  should  be  kept  moist,  but  not  soaked.  Ger- 
mination takes  place  in  from  two  to  six  months.  As  soon 
as  the  plumule  pushes  out  through  the  husk  on  one  side 
and  roots  are  just  appearing  below,  the  seedling  is  ready 
to  transplant  to  its  permanent  location. 

Two  methods  of  planting  are  in  vogue.  In  India  pits 
three  to  six  feet  across  and  two  to  three  feet  deep  are 
dug  twenty-seven  to  thirty-six  feet  apart.  These  pits  are 
filled  with  sand,  manure,  ashes,  compost,  rotted  leaves 
and  rich  soil.  The  germinating  seed  is  half  buried  in  the 
center  of  the  pit,  and  no  further  cultivation  is  given  ex- 
cept to  clear  the  weeds  and  no  more  fertilization  than 
to  utilize  the  cocoanut  grove  for  pasture  lands. 


16 

The  newer  method,  and  one  which  has  been  proved  to 
give  better  results,  is  to  plow  the  land  and  work  the 
whole  surface  into  the  best  possible  state  of  cultivation. 
Frequent  tillage  follows  with  the  planting  of  leguminous 
inter-crops  and  the  addition  of  commercial  fertilizers.  The 
trees  should  never  be  planted  closer  than  30  feet,  or  at 
the  rate  of  from  110  to  150  trees  per  acre.  Close  planting 
in  rows,  as  seen  in  many  native  groves  and  in  dooryards 
around  Honolulu,  and  for  that  matter,  all  through  the 
Islands,  is  neither  a  satisfactory  nor  profitable  method 
of  cocoanut  cultivation. 

There  is  the  widest  variation  in  the  Dumber  and  size 
of  cocoanuts  borne  by  individual  trees.  Some  trees  may 
produce  only  a  dozen  nuts  in  the  course  of  a  year,  others 
bear  from  150  to  200,  or  more.  Some  trees  begin  to  bear 
in  their  fifth  or  sixth  year,  others  not  for  ten  or  fifteen 
years.  The  greatest  profit  in  cocoanut  cultivation  will 
come  by  planting  only  nuts  from  trees  known  to  have  the 
most  desirable  qualities,  both  in  early  maturity  and  pro- 
lific yield.  The  trees  continue  to  bear  for  fifty  or  sixty 
years  or  more,  but  during  this  time  cultivation  should 
be  continued  and  the  supplies  of  plant  food  taken  from  the 
soil  returned  in  the  form  of  organic  or  commercial  fer- 
tilizers. 

When  the  plantation  begins  to  bear  the  nuts  are  gather- 
ed as  they  ripen,  the  husk  removed,  either  by  hand  or 
by  modern  decorticating  machines,  of  which  there  are 
many  styles  and  patterns  designed  for  the  dual  purpose 
of  husking  the  nut  and  saving  all  of  the  fibre  from  the 
husk.  The  nuts  are  then  split  in  halves  and  placed  on 
drying  floors  in  the  sun.  In  twenty-four  hours  the  meat 
curls  loose  from  the  shell  and  may  be  shaken  or  emptied 
out.  The  meat  is  then  dried  for  one  or  two  days  in  the 
sun  and  finished  off  by  artificial  heat,  or  the  meats  are 
sliced  by  machinery  and  finished  in  steam  heated  drying 
houses. 

The  Samoan  cocoanut  is  considered  the  best  variety  for 
cultivation  in  Hawaii  because  it  commences  to  bear  at 
an  earlier  age  and  is  more  prolific  than  the  Hawaiian 
tree.  A  cocoanut  orchard  in  good  bearing  should  yield 
from  1.0,000  to  15,000  nuts  per  acre  per  annum.  Yields 
of  nearly  double  these  amounts  have  been  obtained  in 
other  lands,  but  the  Hawaiian  average  is  considerably 
under  this.  The  best  practice  would  be  not  to  produce 
copra  for  export  but  to  extract  the  cocoanut  oil  on  the 
nlantation  where  the  nuts  are  grown.     The  flesh  of  the 


17 

nuts  contain  on  an  average  about  35  per  cent,  of  oil.  If 
this  is  extracted  by  modern  commercial  methods  at  least 
30  per  cent,  of  the  oil  is  recoverable  and  the  cake,  or 
waste,  becomes  a  valuable  by-product  for  feeding  cattle 
or  for  returning  to  the  land  as  fertilizer. 

FLOWERS 

The  flower  business  of  the  Islands  is  largely  in  the 
hands  of  Hawaiians  and  Japanese.  Carnations,  violets 
and  asters  flower  almost  continuously,  especially  at  eleva- 
tions above  1,000  feet.  The  Honolulu  market  is  well  sup- 
plied with  flowers,  such  as  they  are,  but  a  number  of 
florists  find  it  profitable  to  bring  considerable  quantities 
of  the  finer  classes  of  cut  flowers  in  cold  storage  from 
San  Francisco.  The  opportunity  is  open  in.  the  production 
of  the  finer  types  and  strains  of  cut  flowers,  ferns,  green- 
house plants  and  ornamentals,  as  in  the  case  of  vegetables 
of  improved  types. 

Besides  the  opportunities  for  florists,  there  are  open- 
ings for  the  establishment  of  nurseries  to  supply  fruit, 
shade  and  forest  trees.  There  is  no  commercial  nursery 
and  no  local  seed  house  in  this  Territory. 

BEES 

There  are  no  openings  for  bee-keeping  on  a  large  scale, 
practically  all  of  the  pasturage  now  being  fully  occupied 
by  individuals  and  corporations  already  established  in  the 
industry.  However,  there  are  still  opportunities  for  in- 
dividual farmers  or  land  holders  to  work  up  a  trade  in 
comb  honey  for  family  or  city  trade,  and  in  bee  raising 
for  the  production  of  wax.  Hawaii  is  a  good  bee  country. 
Feed  is  fairly  abundant  and  continuous.  The  honey  is 
not  of  the  best  quality  when  compared  with  Mainland 
honeys  produced  from  floral  nectar,  much  of  the  island 
honey  being  of  the  honey-dew  type.  It  is  valuable  in  the 
baking  trade,  but  is  not  as  highly  flavored  as  Mainland 
honeys,  and  is  not  so  well  suited  for  table  consumption. 

STOCK  AND  POULTRY 

DAIRYING.         There  are  fifty  dairies  on  the  Island  of 

Oahu    and    others    on    each   of  the     larger 

islands.     The  climate  is  a  good  one  for  stock.     The  only 

serious  diseases  which  are  widely  prevalent  are  tubercu- 


18 

losis  and  liver-fluke.  No  serious  epidemic  disease  of  cat- 
tle has  ever  been  introduced  into  the  Islands.  Many  herds 
have  registered  animals  of  Jersey,  Holstein  and  other  milk 
breeds. 

Grasses  and  forage  crops  for  soiling  purposes  are  easily 
grown,  but  all  concentrated  feeds  with  the  exception  of 
rice  polish  and  rice-bran  are  imported  from  the  Mainland 
and  are  hence  high  in  price.  The  algaroba  bean,  a  local 
produce  similar  to  the  mesquite  bean  of  Texas,  takes  the 
place  of  concentrated  feeds  to  some  extent.  Sorghum  and 
alfalfa  are  the  chief  forage  crops.  Alfalfa  yields  with 
irrigation,  from  ten  to  thirteen  crops  per  annum.  Sorghum 
may  be  cut  every  two  months  for  five  or  six  years.  Other 
forage  crops  are  guinea  grass,  paspalum  dilatatum,  para 
grass  and  Rhodes  grass.  Spanish  clover  is  abundant  in 
some  districts  on  the  islands. 

Milk  retails  in  Honolulu,  at  from  10  to  15  cents  per 
quart.  Butter  retails  from  30  to  50  cents  per  pound. 
There  are  enough  local  dairies  to  supply  milk  and  cream 
for  a  larger  population  than  is  now  in  the  Islands,  but 
the  importation  of  butter  amounts  to  $40,000  per  annum 
for  the  Honolulu  markets  alone.  There  are  no  special 
difficulties  in  butter  making  other  than  good  water  supply, 
and  care  and  cleanliness  in  handling  the  milk.  The  inter- 
island  transportation  problem  is  one  of  the  chief  obstacles 
in  the  way  of  butter  production  on  the  islands  other  than 
Oahu,  for  the  Honolulu  market. 

The  market  for  cheese  is  good.  There  are  no  local 
factories  so  that  the  field  is  an  open  one. 

POULTRY  Chicken  raising  is  an  extremely  uncertain 

RAISING.  industry  in  the  Territory  of  Hawaii,  as 
evinced  by  the  high  prices  both  of  eggs  and 
poultry,  live  or  dressed.  Fresh  eggs  sell  in  the  Honolulu 
markets  at  from  30  to  60  cents  per  dozen,  while  the  ruling 
prices  for  live  fowls  range  from  $12  to  $18  per  dozen, 
depending  on  their  age,  condition,  and  breed.  For  pure- 
bred fowls  even  higher  prices  are  asked  and  given.  This 
condition  of  scarcity  is  unusual  in  any  country.  It  makes 
eggs  and  chickens  a  luxury  only  within  the  means  of  the 
well-to-do,  instead  of  contributing  to  the  daily  bill  of  fare 
of  all  the  people. 

In  the  country  districts  the  mongoose  has  much  to  do 
with  causing  this  state  of  affairs,  because  of  his  prefer- 
ence for  young  chickens,  but  even  in  the  towns,  wheie 
the  mongoose  is  seldom  seen,  poultry  raising  is  and  has 


_ 19_ 

been  a  precarious  industry  as  far  back  as  authentic  records 
extend.  This  is  mainly  because  of  the  great  number  of 
disease  prevalent  here,  as  elsewhere  in  the  tropics.  Chiei 
among  these  is  a  malady  commonly  known  as  sore  head, 
which  decimates  the  flocks  at  the  time  when  the  chicks 
are  being  weaned  by  the  mother  hen.  Roup,  diarrhea, 
cholera,  and  especially  colds  and  pneumonia,  are  also  all 
too  prevalent,  while  lice  and  intestinal  worms  do  their 
share  toward  depleting  the  chicken  yards.  Most  of  these 
diseases  are  due  to  neglect,  improper  care,  and  faulty 
yards  and  houses,  and  all  are  largely  preventable 

It  does  not  require  close  calculation  to  show  that  chicken 
raising  can  be  made  profitable  in  these  islands  if  the 
grower  will  devote  as  much  care  and  attention  to  details 
as  in  any  other  minor  industry.  The  high  prices  for  eggs 
and  chickens  and  the  amount  consumed  prove  that  such 
close  care  and  attention  to  the  details  of  the  business 
would  be  profitable.  During  the  year  1900  there  were 
imported  into  Honolulu  alone,  from  the  mainland,  about 
40,000  dozens  of  eggs  and  about  75,000  pounds  of  dressed 
chickens,  besides  numerous  lots  of  live  fowls.  The  value, 
wholesale,  for  imported  eggs  was  about  $12,000,  and  for 
refrigerated  chickens  about  the  same.  Thus,  besides  the 
home  supply,  there  were  imported  for  the  use  of  the  one 
island  of  Oahu  fully  $25,000  worth  of  eggs  and  chickens. 
Hawaii,  Maui,  Kauai,  and  the  smaller  islands  are  not 
taken  into  consideration  in  this  calculation,  but  a  good 
many  cases  of  eggs  find  their  way  to  Hilo  and  other 
Island  ports  direct  from  the  Pacific  Coast.  The  supplying 
of  steamships  and  sailing  vessels  with  fresh  eggs  and 
live  poultry  ought  in  itself  to  be  a  lucrative  trade. 

A  brood  of  chickens  in  the  dooryard,  vineyard,  or  or- 
chard would  soon  pay  for  their  keep  in  the  destruction  of 
Japanese  beetles  and  other  insect  pests.  The  waste  from 
the  kitchen  and  table  could  also  be  turned  to  more  general 
account.  Clean  houses,  nests,  and  roosts,  pure  water,  good 
food,  plenty  of  sunshine  and  shelter  from  the  winds,  a 
dust  bath,  some  broken  coral,  daily  care  to  keep  the  birds 
healthy,  and  instant  isolation  of  ailing  members  of  the 
flock  will  do  a  great  deal  to  lower  the  price  and  increase 
the  sales  of  fresh  eggs  and  spring  chickens  in  Hawaii. 

The  feeding  problem  for  poultry  in  Hawaii  is  one  of 
considerable  importance  because  of  the  absence  of  cheap 
grain  crops.  The  only  cereal  produced  is  rice,  which 
ordinarily  sells  at  from  three  and  one-half  to  Ave  and 
one-half  cents  per  pound,  placing  it  out  of  the  question  as 


20 

a  chicken  food.  Wheat,  barley,  oats,  and  corn,  all  im- 
ported from  the  Mainland,  sell  for  from  one  dollar  to  two 
and  one-half  dollars  per  hundred  pounds,  while  screenings 
and  the  various  mixtures  known  as  scratch  foods  sell  from 
one  to  two  cents  per  pound,  according  to  the  ingredients 
of  which  they  are  composed.  Meat  scrap  and  green  bone 
are  proportionately  high.  The  only  cheap  foods  which 
could  be  produced  on  a  large  scale  for  poultry  feed  are, 
alfalfa,  starchy  root  crops,  such  as  cassava,  arrow  root, 
and  the  upland  taro,  and  the  fruit  of  the  papaia.  The 
scarcity  and  high  price  of  available  poultry  feeds  is  prob- 
ably largely  responsible  for  the  high  price  of  the  product 
in  eggs  and  chickens,  but  the  prevalence  of  disease  among 
the  flocks  has  some  influence. 

The  most  destructive  disease  affecting  poultry  is  sore 
head  or  chicken  pox.  A  characteristic  symptom  is  the 
formation  of  scabs  on  the  head,  feet,  or  other  bare  portions 
of  the  body  of  the  fowls.  When  infection  is  on  the  head 
the  course  of  the  disease  is  very  rapid,  often  causing 
blindness  and  swelling  or  distortion  of  the  beak,  so  that 
the  bird  is  unable  to  either  see  its  food  and  water  or  to 
swallow.  Death  from  sore  head  in  young  poultry  is  due 
either  to  starvation  or  to  colds,  or  pneumonia.  While 
the  nature  of  the  disease  is  well  understood  the  method 
of  infection  has  not  been  definitely  determined,  but  the 
general  healthiness  of  the  flock  and  the  care  given,  has 
some  influence  on  the  severity  with  which  the  birds  are 
attacked.  Remedies  are,  preventative,  that  is,  to  feed  the 
flock  well,  and  see  that  their  sleeping  quarters  are  dry, 
clean,  and  protected  from  draughts,  or  curative,  when  the 
infection  exhibits  itself,  by  direct  application  of  carbolated 
vaseline,  a  mixture  of  kerosene  and  lard,  nitrate  of  silver, 
glycerine,  permanganate  of  potash,  iodine,  ichthyol,  or 
an  alum  solution. 

Other  serious  diseases  are  cholera,  roup,  colds,  pneumo- 
nia, intestinal  worms,  lice,  and  the  general  run  of  poultry 
diseases  common  to  fowls  in  all  countries. 

With  well  constructed,  dry,  clean  houses,  good  feeding 
and  fresh  water,  the  poultry  business  can  be  made  as 
profitable  in  Hawaii  as  in  any  other  country.  The  high 
prices  obtained  for  eggs:  and  live,  or  dressed  fowls,  com- 
pensates for  the  high  prices  of  the  feed  required,  so  that 
there  is  always  a  good  margin  of  profit.  The  failures  in 
poultry  raising  are  due  as  much  to  the  poultry  owner 
giving  over  the   entire   care  of  his   flock  to  oriental   em- 


21_ 

ployes   as   to   any   special   difficulties   not   attendant   upon 
the  production  of  poultry  in  other  lands. 

STOCK-RAISING  There  are  about  one  hundred  ranches 
in  Hawaii  besides  many  individual 
cattle  owners.  A  recent  estimate  is  that  there  are  about 
170,000  head  of  cattle,  75,000  sheep  and  30,000  horses  on 
the  island  ranches  and  plantations.  The  grazing  lands  of 
all  of  the  islands  are  pretty  well  occupied,  so  that  there 
are  but  few  openings  unless  persons  desiring  to  go  into 
the  ranching  business  come  here  provided  with  sufficient 
capital  to  buy  out  some  ranch  that  is  already  established. 
There  is,  to  a  certain  extent,  an  over-production  of  beef, 
but  thousands  of  mutton  carcasses  are  imported. 

The  stock  on  the  island  ranches  is  of  very  good  quality, 
many  breeding  animals  of  the  best  beef  breeds  having 
been  imported.  As  stated  elsewhere,  sisal  waste  is  an 
excellent  feed  for  fattening  cattle.  Cane  tops  are  fed  to 
stock  wherever  these  are  available. 

Pig  raising  is  a  profitable  industry  where  one  has  a 
large  run  or  can  obtain  cheap  feed.  Live  pork  finds  a 
ready  market  at  high  prices  among  the  Chinese.  Suckling 
pigs  a  month  old  sell  for  $5.00  each,  provided  they  can 
be  produced  for  the  holiday  markets,  Thanksgiving,  Christ- 
mas, New  Year's  and  Kamehameha  Days, — the  11th  of 
June.  Both  hogs  and  cattle  may  be  fattened  on  Cassava, 
a  plant  which  grows  almost  without  care.  Other  feeds 
used  for  fattening  hogs  are  papaias,  bananas,  taro  tops 
and  parings,  and  the  fruit  waste  from  the  pineapple  can- 
neries. Hog  cholera  is  prevalent,  and  occasionally  epi- 
demic, as  it  is  on  the  Mainland. 

SILK 

A  number  of  attempts  have  been  made  to  establish  a 
silk  industry  in  Hawaii  at  intervals  since  1837.  when  the 
first  mulberry  plantings  were  made  on  the  island  of  Kauai. 
The  silk  worm  is  a  temperate  zone  insect  and  although 
it  can  be  successfully  reared  in  the  warmer  portions  of 
the  islands,  the  cultivation  is  only  uniformly  successful 
in  the  cooler  zone  above  2000  feet  where  climatic  condi- 
tions approach  those  of  more  northern  countries 

The  Hawaii  Experiment  Station  has  carried  on  a  num- 
ber of  experiments  with  silk.  The  product  has  been  pro- 
nounced by  experts  "well  worthy  of  being  graded  as  first 
class."     The    silk   which    the    station   has    produced    reels 


22 

to  better  advantage  than  the  average  Japanese  or  Chinese 
product.  Three  pounds  of  dried  coooons  yielded  one 
pound  of  raw  silk.  The  average  in  Japan  and  elsewhere 
is  four  to  one.  Well  dried  cocoons  are  worth  from  90 
cents  to  $1.20  per  pound  f.  o.  b.  Honolulu,  while  the  reeled 
raw  silk  is  worth  from  $3.00  to  $5.00. 

The  food  of  the  silk  worm,  the  mulberry,  thrives  from 
sea-level  up  to  4,000  feet.  The  Experiment  Station  has 
introduced  and  is  propagating  varieties  of  mulberry  which 
are  considered  the  best  for  silk  production. 

An  even  temperature  is  important.  The  worms  are  ap- 
parently not  seriously  affected  by  excessive  humidity,  pro- 
vided the  temperature  is  low,  and  the  leaves  are  not  wet 
when  fed.  Districts  subject  to  high  winds  or  severe  storms 
should  be  avoided  since  the  destruction  of  the  foliage  of 
the  mulberry  trees  might  occur  at  a  critical  time,  thus 
resulting  in  the  loss  of  a  crop  of  silk  worms. 

The  returns  from  silk  are  low,  so  that  it  is  best  taken 
up  as  a  side-line  in  connection  with  some  other  branch  of 
agriculture.  The  care  of  silk  worms  is  not  an  industry 
for  women  and  school  children,  as  has  often  been  stated, 
but  requires  a  man's  full  time  during  the  whole  period 
from  the  hatching  of  the  worms  from  the  eggs  until  trans- 
formation takes  place  into  the  cocoon.  Women  and  chil- 
dren may  be  employed  to  advantage  in  gathering  the 
leaves  from  the  mulberry  trees,  but  the  care  of  the  worms 
in  the  silk  house  is  one  demanding  considerable  technical 
skill.  Island  industries  which  employ  labor  during  only 
a  portion  of  the  year  could  well  undertake  the  growing 
of  silk  worms,  both  because  of  the  profit  and  as  a  means 
of  supplying  work  for  the  laborers  during  the  dull  seasons. 

The  requirements  for  silk  raising  are  a  considerable 
acreage  planted  to  mulberry  trees;  and,  dry,  well  lighted 
and  ventilated  house  with  large  floor  space.  An  ounce 
of  eggs  will  produce  enough  worms  to  require  one  man's 
care  for  one  month.  This  number  of  worms  will  consume 
from  2,200  to  2,400  pounds  of  mulberry  leaves.  They  will 
occupy  60  square  yards  of  shelf  space  during  the  last 
stages  of  development.  The  worms  from  an  ounce  of 
eggs  will  produce  90  pounds  of  fresh  cocoons.  These 
shrink  on  drying  to  about  30  pounds,  worth  at  present 
quotations,  as  stated  above,  from  90  cents  to  $1.20  per 
pound.  This  would  give  a  total  return  of  from  $27  to  $36 
as  a  result  of  one  man's  labor  from  one  month,  in  the  silk 
house.  At  the  Experiment  Station  it  was  found  that  a 
single  mulberry  tree  of  medium  size  and  leafage,  yielded 


23 

$y2  pounds  of  green  leaf  at  a  single  picking;  so  that  it 
would  require  about  300  mulberry  trees  to  produce .  leaf 
to  care  for  worms  from  one  ounce  of  eggs. 

The  above  yields  and  prices  are  average  ones.  The 
mulberries  are  in  continuous  leafage  in  Hawaii.  Mulberry 
trees  planted  for  silk  production  are  usually  set  in  close 
rows  or  hedges;  the  trees  are  pruned  closely,  and  forced, 
to  make  them  throw  out  young  shoots.  The  newly  hatched 
silk  worms  are  fed  only  the  youngest  leaves  and  the  older 
and  more  mature  leaves  are  fed  successively  as  the  worms 
grow.  The  industry  is  one  requiring  considerable  skill 
both  in  the  handling  of  the  worms  and  in  the  production 
of  abundant  supplies  of  mulberry  leaves  in  their  proper 
stage  of  development. 

The  production  of  eggs  and  the  reeling  of  raw  silk  are 
operations  calling  for  skilled  labor  and  an  investment  of 
capital.  Under  the  newer  agriculture  it  is  found  practi- 
cable to  keep'  silk  worm  eggs  in  cold  storage  for  rather 
indefinite  periods,  so  that  crops  of  worms  can  be  started 
in  sequence  at  any  season  of  the  year.  Egg  production  is 
a  business  by  itself  and  should  not  be  attempted  by  any- 
one who  seeks  to  grow  silk  at  a  profit. 

The  profits  of  silk  growing  are  as  much  in  the  reeling 
of  the  raw  silk  and  the  manufacture  of  cloth  and  piece 
goods  as  in  the  production  of  the  cocoons.  Silk  weaving 
is  a  household  industry  the  world  over,  probably  90  per 
cent,  of  the  Chinese  and  Japanese  silks  being  woven  on 
hand  looms  in  the  homes  of  the  laborers  who  grow  the 
silk  worms.  The  weaving  of  silk  is  more  an  occupation 
for  the  employment  of  women  and  children  than  is  the 
growing  of  the  silk  worms.  There  are  a  great  many 
laborers  in  Hawaii  who  have  come  here  from  the  silk 
producing  Provinces  of  Japan,  and  these  would  undoubted- 
ly take  up  this  industry  in  Hawaii  if  they  could  receive 
the  encouragement  of  men  with  capital.  The  market  for 
dry  cocoons  and  raw  silk  would  have  to  be  developed 
along  with  the  market  for  silk  manufactures.  The  field 
is  an  attractive  one  and  it  is  believed  that  there  is  oppor- 
tunity for  the  investment  of  considerable  capital  in  the 
development  of  the  industry. 

FIELD  CROPS  AND  INDUSTRIES 

SUGAR.         Sugar  cane   is  the   principal   crop  of  Hawaii. 

There   are   about   two   hundred   thousand   acres 

planted,    one-half   of   which   is   cropped    each   year.     The 


24 

average  yield  is  a  little  over  four  tons  per  acre.  While 
sugar  cane  is  mostly  cultivated  by  large  corporations  un- 
der the  plantation  system,  there  are  a  number  of  farmers 
who  grow  cane  on  their  own  account  to  sell  to  the  sugar 
mills.  Sugar  land  is  not  readily  obtainable.  If  new  land 
must  be  cleared  for  planting  it  requires  two  and  a  half 
to  three  years  to  mature  the  first  crop  and  market  it;  or, 
an  average  of  about  eighteen  months  if  land  can  be  ob- 
tained which  has  been  cleared  or  previously  planted  to 
this  or  some  other  crop.  After  the  first  plant  crop  is  taken 
off,  a  ratoon  crop  follows  in  about  fourteen  months,  fol- 
lowed by  a  second  or  long  ratoon  crop  in  eighteen  months. 
It  requires  a  capital  of  at  least  $100  per  acre  to  grow 
sugar  cane,  but  some  plantations  are  capitalized  as  high 
as  $600  per  acre.  With  proper  cultivation,  fertilization 
and  good  seasons,  a  larger  profit  can  be  obtained  from 
sugar  cane  than  from  most  agricultural  crops  in  temperate 
climates.  Anyone  coming  here  to  grow  sugar  cane  should 
have,  not  only  enough  capital  to  carry  the  crop  from  plant- 
ing to  mautrity,  but  also  other  resources.  At  the  proper 
elevation,  say  above  1000  feet  above  sea  level,  white 
farmers  can  perform  all  of  the  labor  in  the  cane  field. 
A  number  of  farmers  in  the  Olaa  district  are  profitably 
engaged  in  this  industry,  and  suitable  lands  are  available 
there  and  elsewhere. 

COFFEE.  Hawaii  produces  annually  about  1500  tons 
of  coffee.  The  value  of  the  crop  ranged  from 
$270,000  in  1901,  to  $336,000  in  1906.  About  4,500  acres 
is  devoted  to  this  crop  and  the  average  yield  is  650  pounds 
per  acre.  From  24,000  to  30,000  bags  are  sold  to  the 
Mainland  markets  and  from  1800  to  2000  bags  of  the 
poorer  grades  are  consumed  in  Hawaii.  The  average  cost 
of  production  was  11  cents  per  pound  in  1901,  which  has 
been  reduced  to  about  seven  and  one-half  cents  per  pound 
in  1907.  The  present  average  value  of  the  Hawaiian  coffee 
crop  is  about  lO1/^  cents  per  pound. 

Hawaiian  coffee  is  of  the  mild  type  and  in  general 
compares  with  the  Mexican  and  Central  American  product 
rather  than  with  the  rank  coffees  of  South  America. 
Some  districts  produce  a  broad,  flat  bean,  which,  when 
properly  aged,  is  not  distinguishable  from  the  best  Old 
Government  Java. 

Coffee  prices  have  been  very  low  for  the  last  seven 
years.  The  sudden  fall  in  world's  prices  from  1898  to 
1900    wiped   out   a   great   many   farmers    and   plantations, 


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PICKING  COFFEE 
Island  of  Hawaii 


25 

but  those  who  succeeded  in  living  through  the  crisis,  as 
well  as  those  who  have  entered  into  the  production  of 
coffee  under  the  new  condition  of  low  prices,  are  running 
their  plantations  at  a  profit.  If  prices  should  rise,  and 
especially  could  protection  be  assured  the  industry,  there 
are  great  possibilities  in  coffee  in  Hawaii.  This  industry 
is  an  ideal  one  for  white  labor,  the  zone  of  coffee  lands 
being  one  in  which  the  climatic  conditions  are  most  favor- 
able. 

Coffee  grows  in  practically  all  districts  in  the  Islands 
at  an  elevation  of  from  1000  to  3000  feet.  The  Kona  dis- 
trict on  the  island  of  Hawaii,  has  the  largest  acreage  in 
this  crop,  and  produces  a  bean  which  has  made  a  name 
for  itself  in  the  Mainland  markets.  There  is  also  much 
coffee  in  the  Hamakua,  Hilo,  and  Puna  districts.  One 
of  the  methods  of  accommodation  of  cost  of  production 
to  lower  prices  for  the  product  is  the  utilization  of  the  land 
between  the  coffee  rows  for  the  first  three  years  after  a 
new  plantation  is  established,  for  the  cultivation  of  inter- 
crops such  as  land  taro,  soja-beans,  vegetables  and  small 
fruits.  During  this  preliminary  period  of  growth,  until 
the  coffee  tree  comes  into  bearing,  it  is  treated  practically 
as  a  secondary  crop  upon  the  land.  The  cultivation  of 
the  inter-crop  is  discontinued  when  the  trees  come  into 
bearing,  when,  through  increase  in  size,  they  have  filled 
in  the  rows. 

There  is  much  variation  in  the  distance  at  which  the 
trees  are  planted;  in  the  practice  of  shading  the  coffee, 
or  growing  it  without  shade;  in  the  use  of  fertilizers;  and, 
in  methods  of  cultivation.  The  young  trees  are  set  at  the 
rate  of  from  650  to  900  per  acre,  depending  somewhat  upon 
the  soil  and  the  varying  ideas  of  plantation  managers. 
With  so  narrow  a  margin  between  the  cost  of  production 
and  marketing,  and  the  selling  price  of  the  finished  coffee, 
there  are  wide  opportunities  for  differences  in  methods 
of  cultivation  and  handling. 

The  Hawaiian  method  of  handling  coffee  is  to  pick  the 
cherry  as  it  ripens,  the  ripening  period  usually  extending 
over  several  months.  The  cherry  is  run  through  a  ma- 
chine which  removes  the  sweet,  outer  pulp.  The  coffee 
seeds  are  surrounded  by  a  thin,  hard  bladder-like  sac, 
technically  known  as  the  parchment.  As  soon  as  pulped, 
coffee  in  the  parchment  is  fermented  in  water-tight  bins 
or  trays  of  shallow  construction.  It  is  finally  washed  and 
dried  in  houses  especially  constructed  for  that  purpose, 
or  spread  on  drying  floors  in  the  sun.     When  the  coffee 


26 

is  completely  dried  the  parchment  is  removed  and  the 
green  coffee  is  sorted,  polished  and  graded  by  machinery- 
It  is  then  hand  picked,  and,  when  bagged,  is  ready  for 
the  market. 

The  opportunities  in  the  coffee  industry  are  good  pro- 
vided the  prospective  investor  is  satisfied  with  a  low,  but 
reasonably  certain,  return.  The  industry  is  now  on  a 
natural  basis  in  Hawaii,  the  prices  being  governed  more 
by  the  law  of  supply  and  demand  and  the  world's  produc- 
tion, than  by  legislative  protection.  There  has  been  a 
steady  improvement  in  the  market  conditions  as  affecting 
our  coffee  crop.  Demand  is  constantly  increasing.  Con- 
siderable areas  of  new  lands  are  now  being  planted.  Our 
coffee  has,  to  some  extent,  established  a  market  for  itself, 
and  the  outlook  for  the  industry  as  a  whole  is  good. 

RICE.  The  rice  industry  is  second  in  importance  to 
sugar,  there  being  about  12,000  acres  devoted  to 
the  cultivation  of  this  crop.  The  annual  rice  crop  is 
worth  about  $2,500,000.  While  the  Chinese  control  the 
rice  industry,  there  are  opportunities  for  the  introduction 
and  operation  of  labor  saving  machinery,  such  as  har- 
vesters and  threshing  machinery.  At  the  present  time 
the  methods  of  cultivation  are  oriental.  The  seed  is  sown 
in  nursery  beds  and  the  individual  plants  are  transplanted 
by  hand  into  the  field.  The  sickle  is  used  in  harvesting, 
and  much  of  the  threshing  is  still  done  with  horses  on 
stone  threshing  floors.  Preliminary  experiments  carried 
on  by  the  Hawaii  Experiment  Station  indicate  that  the 
use  of  improved  harvesting  machinery  is  entirely  prac 
ticable,  provided  laborers  can  be  obtained  who  understand 
the  use  of  such  machinery.  Several  good  threshing  out- 
fits could  find  ready  employment,  because  the  Chinese 
rice  growers  recognize  the  value  of  labor  saving  appli- 
ances when  properly  operated. 

There  are  two  harvest  seasons,  or  in  some  localities 
three,  depending  upon  the  variety  of  rice  which  is  culti- 
vated. There  are  spring  and  fall  varieties,  just  as  in  the 
case  of  wheat,  and  the  alternation  of  spring  and  autumn 
varieties  is  well  understood  by  the  Chinese  rice  growers. 
The  fall  ripening  varieties,  if  planted  in  early  spring  will 
only  make  one  crop,  continuing  to  grow  without  heading 
for  ten  months  or  more.  The  same  variety  sown  at  the 
proper  season,  matures  in  120  days.  The  cultivation  of 
rice  lands  is  continuous,  there  being  on  an  average,  five 
crops  in  two  years.     Even  with  the  expensive,  primative 


27 

methods   employed,   rice   cultivation   is   a   very    profitable 
industry. 

SISAL.  There  is  much  land  suitable  for  the  cultiva- 
tion of  sisal  on  all  of  the  islands  of  the  group. 
Sisal  is  not  in  the  stricter  sense  a  cultivated  plant,  prac- 
tically no  cultivation  being  given  after  the  plantation  has 
been  established,  other  than  to  clear  out  glue,  lantana 
and  other  weedy  undergrowth.  Sisal  may  be  cultivated 
on  any  land  not  too  thickly  grassed,  from  sea-level  to  an 
elevation  of  2000  feet.  The  controlling  factor  is  rainfall 
and  not  elevation  above  sea-level.  While  this  crop  has 
been  cultivated  in  large  areas  in  extremely  barren  and 
lainless  country,  such  a  location  should  not  be  chosen 
if  cheap  lands  in  a  moderately  wet  district  are  available. 
Better  results  through  more  rapid  growth  and  maturity 
are  obtainable  in  locations  where  the  rainfall  ranges  from 
20  to  50  inches  per  annum,  than  where  it  amounts  to  less 
than  20  inches. 

Sisal  is  propagated  from  suckers  or  offshoots  which 
appear  at  the  base  of  the  mature  plants;  and  from  pole 
bulbs,  which  follow  the  flowers  instead  of  seeds.  The 
sisal  plant  almost  never  produced  true  seed  pods,  and  even 
when  these  are  produced  the  seed  is  seldom  fertile.  If 
suckers  are  used  they  may  be  transplanted  at  once  to  the 
field,  but  pole  bulbs  must  be  planted  a  year  in  fertile  land 
to  force  their  growth.  While  pole  bulbs  are  sometimes 
set  out  in  regular  nursery  rows,  far  enough  apart  to  culti- 
vate between  them,  a  better  style  of  plant  for  transplant- 
ing is  secured  by  setting  the  bulbs  in  a  compact  mass, 
the  individual  bulbs  not  more  than  two  to  four  inches 
apart.  This  makes  a  close,  compact  plant,  easier  to  trans- 
port and  handle  than  are  the  suckers  or  pole  plants  which 
have  been  set  in  nursery  rows  at  wider  distances.  The 
object  of  nursery  planting  is  to  force  growth  in  the  early 
stages;  shorten  the  period  between  planting  and  maturity; 
and  add  greater  uniformity  to  the  field. 

Before  planting  it  is  best  to  clear  the  land  of  brush 
and  weeds.  Roadways  should  be  laid  out  on  such  a  con- 
tour that  portable  tracks  may  later  be  built  through  the 
plantation  to  facilitate  the  harvesting  of  the  crop. 

The  plants  are  set  in  the  field  in  regular  rows  from 
seven  to  nine  feet  apart  and  from  four  to  eight  feet  in  the 
tow,  at  the  rate  of  from  800  to  1.100  plants  per  acre.  It 
Is  a  disputed  question  as  to  the  amount  of  cultivation  that 
can  be  profitable  given,  as  well  as  the  amount  of  prepara- 


28 

tion  necessary  before  planting.  Practice  varies  from  pick- 
ing up  a  circle  three  feet  or  more  in  diameter  around  the 
young  plant,  to  no  cultivation  other  than  a  hole  made 
with  a  single  blow  of  a  mattock  loosening  just  enough 
dirt  to  pack  the  plant  in  position  until  it  sends  out  roots. 
Harvesting  begins  at  the  end  of  the  third  year  after  the 
nursery  plants  or  suckers  have  been  set  in  the  field.  The 
leaves  are  considered  ripe  for  harvest  when  they  have 
fallen  from  their  rigid,  erect  position  to  a  looser,  horizon- 
tal one.  From  10  to  20  of  the  lower  leaves  are  cut  from 
each  plant.  In  six  months  another  crop  is  cut  and  so  on 
until  all  the  leaves  have  been  taken.  The  leaves  are 
bundled,  and  hauled  to  the  mill  on  carts  or  cars.  The 
location  of  the  mill  should  have  been  decided  upon  before 
any  planting  was  undertaken,  being  located  either  at  the 
lowest  point  of  the  land,  or  convenient  to  shipping  facili- 
ties. The  fibre  is  extracted  from  the  leaves  by  high  power 
modern  machinery  especially  devised  for  the  purpose. 
Two  systems  of  milling  are  in  use.  One  type  of  machinery 
requires  a  supply  of  water  which  is  trickled  over  the 
leaves  while  the  fibre  is  being  extracted.  The  other  type 
requires  no  additional  water  supply  other  than  the  abund- 
ant juices  of  the  leaf  itself.  As  soon  as  the  fibre  is  ex- 
tracted, it  is  hung  on  lines  out  of  doors  where  the  sunshine 
can  dry  and  bleach  it.  When  well  dried  and  bleached  it 
is  made  up  into  firm  bales  of  400  to  500  pounds  and  is 
ready  for  the  market. 

In  Hawaii  the  average  life  of  the  sisal  plant  is  about 
nine  years.  At  least  two  crops  can  be  harvested  every 
year  beginning  with  the  third.  As  soon  as  the  plant  has 
thrown  up  its  flowering  pole  it  dies;  the  plant  is  then 
uprooted  and  another  nursery  plant  set  in  its  place. 

Hawaiian  grown  sisal  is  pronounced  by  fibre  experts  to 
be  of  the  best  quality.  It  is  superior  to  that  produced  in 
Yucatan,  its  only  direct  competitor  being  a  limited  supply 
which  comes  from  German  East  Africa.  The  yield  of 
fibre  varies  according  to  the  number  of  plants  set  to  the 
acre,  and  their  size  and  vigor,  but  may  be  taken  as  averag- 
ing about  500  pounds  per  acre  per  annum,  or  about  3000 
pounds  per  acre  for  the  full  life  period  of  the  crop.  The 
fibre  composes  about  4  per  cent,  of  the  weight  of  the  leaf. 
In  milling  the  larger  portion  of  the  short  fibres  at  the 
base  of  the  leaf  go  into  the  waste.  The  average  recovery 
of  fibre  in  milling  does  not  exceed  2%  per  cent,  of  the 
total  weight  of  the  leaf  and  sometimes,  through  careless- 


29 

ness  or  badly  adjusted  machinery,  not  more  than  one-half 
of  this  amount. 

The  profitable  disposition  of  the  waste  is  somewhat  of 
a  problem.  In  Yucatan  the  waste  is  fed  to  cattle,  a  portion 
of  the  wages  of  the  plantation  laborers  being  paid  in  fresh 
meat.  Every  plantation  in  Yucatan  runs  a  large  herd  of 
cattle.  The  milling  takes  place  in  the  day  time  and  the 
cattle  are  turned  into  the  mill  yard  at  night  cleaning  up 
thoroughly  the  pulp  and  waste  fibre  produced  by  the  ma- 
chines during  the  day.  Cattle  eat  the  sisal  pulp  readily 
and  thrive  upon  it.  In  Hawaii  the  only  use  thus  far  made 
of  sisal  waste  has  been  to  dry  it,  clean  out  the  short  fibres 
and  curl  them  for  use  in  the  manufacture  of  mattresses. 
The  sisal  waste,  or  at  least  that  part  of  it  consisting  of 
the  short  and  broken  fibres,  is  worth  from  one  to  one  and 
one-half  cents  a  pound  as  paper  stock.  The  size  of  the 
plantation  and  the  amount  of  waste  will  to  some  extent 
govern  the  method  of  its  disposal. 

Fibre  extracting  machinery  is  not  expensive.  The  total 
cost  of  buildings  and  machinery  for  a  sisal  plantation  of 
500  acres  should  not  exceed  $10,000.  The  outlook  for  this 
crop  is  a  very  good  one.  The  total  world's  crop  of  sisal 
is  less  than  400,000  tons  and  the  demand  for  sisal  has  been 
growing  more  rapidly  than  for  Manila  or  other  competing 
fibres.  The  prices  f.  o.  b.  Honolulu  during  the  last  five 
years  have  ranged  from  six  to  eight  cents  per  pound,  al- 
though during  the  panic  in  the  latter  part  of  1907  the 
price  fell  to  four  and  one-fourth  cents; — bringing  financial 
ruin  to  practically  the  whole  Mexican  province  of  Yucatan. 
At  this  writing  prices  have  recovered  to  about  6^  cents 
and  the  trend  seems  to  be  upwards.  Those  who  have 
studied  the  fibre  market  of  the  world  believe  that  both 
demand  and  prices  are  bound  to  increase. 

The  sisal  crop  is  an  attractive  one  for  individuals  or 
corporations  owning  large  areas  of  cheap  lands  suitable 
only  for  grazing.  There  is  practically  no  cost  of  cultiva- 
tion other  than  the  most  meagre  preparation  of  the  land, 
the  purchase  of  plants,  setting  them  in  the  field,  the  har- 
vesting of  the  leaf,  and  the  shipping  of  the  fibre.  The 
industry  is  one  which  does  not  require  the  continuous 
employment  of  large  numbers  of  laborers.  It  may  be 
undertaken  at  a  comparatively  small  capitalization  per 
acre  and  may  be  carried  on  without  the  large  monthly 
expenditures  which  must  be  incurred  in  the  cultivation 
of  more  remunerative  crops  on  better  land.    There  is  much 


30 

land  suitable  for  the  cultivation  of  sisal  on  every  one  of 
the  islands  in  the  Hawaiian  group. 

RUBBER.  The  rubber  industry  is  a  new  one  in  Hawaii, 
but  already  large  areas  have  been  planted. 
The  variety  planted  is  the  Ceara,  Manihot  glaziowii,  a 
rapidly  growing  tree,  native  of  southern  Brazil.  It  makes 
its  best  growth  in  regions  of  high  temperatures  and  high 
rainfall,  but  is  adaptable  to  cultivation  in  semi-arid  regions, 
free  from  frost.  Over  400,000  trees  have  been  planted  in 
Hawaii,  and  new  plantations  are  rapidly  being  established. 
There  are  large  areas  available  for  its  cultivation. 

The  tree  has  a  habit  of  shedding  its  leaves,  remaining 
bare  for  two  or  three  months  every  year.  The  flowers 
accompany  the  young  leaves  which  are  put  forth  at  the 
end  of  this  resting  period.  The  Ceara  rubber  tree  makes 
an  extremely  rapid  growth  and  seems  especially  well 
adapted  to  Hawaiian  conditions.  It  is  widely  distributed 
throughout  the  group,  importations  having  been  first  made 
fifteen  to  twenty  years  ago. 

Preliminary  tapping  experiments,  made  by  the  Hawaii 
Experiment  Station,  indicate  a  high  yield  of  rubber  of 
good  quality,  even  from  trees  three  or  four  years  old. 
These  preliminary  experiments  have  shown  that  it  is  possi- 
ble to  secure  from  1-3  to  2-3  of  an  ounce  of  rubber  per  day 
per  tree  for  about  half  of  the  year. 

Rubber  is  a  product  the  price  of  which  has  been  rapidly 
increasing  because  of  the  inadequate  natural  supply  and 
increasing  demand.  While  its  cultivation  is  now  being 
undertaken  in  all  tropical  countries,  it  will  undoubtedly 
be  many  years  before  the  production  will  have  increased 
to  such  a  point  as  to  materially  decrease  the  returns.  Be- 
cause of  the  rapid  growth  made  by  the  Ceara  tree,  its 
response  to  cultivation,  and  its  heavy  yields  in  Hawaii, 
the  establishment  of  a  rubber  plantation  is  one  of  the 
most  attractive  fields  for  large  investments.  Rubber  grow- 
ing is  a  business  which  will  demand  as  much  science,  skill, 
and  knowledge,  together  with  business  ability  as  would 
any  other  new  enterprise.  But,  there  is  this  in  its  favor, 
that  rubber  is  one  of  the  few  of  the  world's  agricultural 
products  in  the  production  of  which  there  are  still  enor- 
mous profits,  its  cultivation  being  everywhere  on  a  natural 
basis. 


BANANAS 


31 

HAY  AND  FORAGE  One  of  the  most  noticeable  fea- 
tures of  Hawaiian  agriculture  which 
invariably  appeals  to  newcomers,  is  that  all  the  hay  and 
grain  used  in  this  Territory  is  brought  from  the  Mainland, 
and  that  prices  are  very  high.  Baled  wheat  hay  retails 
for  from  $30  per  ton  upwards.  Oats,  barley,  and  other 
grain  feeds  are  proportionately  high  in  price. 

On  the  sugar  plantation  the  standard  feed  is  cane  tops, 
California  hay  only  being  used  for  some  of  the  draft  teams. 
In  the  cities  baled  hay  only  is  obtainable. 

A  number  of  attempts  have  been  made  to  grow  wheat 
for  hay,  but  these  have  not  been  uniformly  successful,  and 
such  production  is  only  occasional,  and  has  thus  far  cut 
no  figure  in  the  market.  A  grass  has  recently  been  intro- 
duced from  South  Africa  which,  however,  bids  fair  to  solve 
the  question  of  local  hay  production.  This  is  the  Rhodes 
grass,  Chloris  gayana.  This  grass  is  a  drought  resistant 
species,  of  tall,  upright  growth.  It  seems  to  be  exception- 
ally well  adapted  to  Hawaiian  conditions.  It  makes  a  hay 
of  a  very  excellent  quality  and  yields  very  heavy,  it  being 
possible  to  harvest  several  crops  during  the  year. 

On  lands  capable  of  irrigation,  alfalfa  grows  remarkably 
well,  especially  in  suitable  locations  on  the  dry  side  of 
the  islands.  At  Waialae,  near  Honolulu,  there  is  a  field 
of  about  300  acres  which,  under  irrigation,  yields  thirteen 
crops  per  annum.  Following  the  usual  custom,  this  and 
other  grasses  and  forage  plants  heretofore  cultivated  in 
Hawaii  are  fed  green,  but  there  is  a  good  field  for  the 
cultivation  of  both  alfalfa  and  Rhodes  grass  for  supplying 
hay  for  the  local  markets. 

Other  grasses  cultivated  for  forage  are  Sorghum,  which 
ratoons  readily,  so  that  a  field  planted  with  it  often  yields 
continuously  for  five  or  six  years  without  replanting.  The 
Guinea  grass,  a  tall  growing,  bunch  grass,  is  well  liked 
although  it  requires  a  good  deal  of  water  and  is  rather 
a  slow  grower.  Guinea  grass  is  propagated  by  division 
of  the  roots,  seed  not  being  readily  obtainable. 

Para  grass  is  widely  cultivated  under  the  name  of 
"Panicum  grass."  It  requires  a  good  deal  of  water,  and 
rich  land.  Under  proper  conditions  heavy  yields  are  ob- 
tainable every  two  months  throughout  the  year.  This  is 
a  succulent,  leafy  grass,  excellent  for  dairy  purposes. 

Johnson  grass,  locally  known  as  Evergreen  Millet,  or 
Australian  Millet,  is  as  much  of  a  pest  where  once  intro- 
duced, in  Hawaii,  as  in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  It  is 
much  cultivated  by  dairymen  who  esteem   it  highly,  be- 


32 

cause  of  its  quick  recovery  whenever  cut  or  closely  grazed. 
The  qualities  which  make  it  desirable  from  the  standpoint 
of  the  dairyman  or  rancher,  make  it  equally  a  pest  in  cane 
fields  or  orchard  cultivations.  This  grass  was  introduced 
into  Hawaii  under  the  name  of  Evergreen  Millet,  and  it 
was  not  recognized  as  being  synonymous  with  Johnson 
grass  until  it  had  obtained  wide  distribution  throughout 
the  islands. 

One  of  the  best  cultivated  pasture  grasses  is  Paspalum 
dilatatum,  an  Australian  species.  This  is  a  bunch  grass 
having  about  the  same  habit  of  growth  as  the  Orchard 
grass,  or  Cock's  Foot.  It  is  a  very  strong,  leafy  grower; 
drought  resistant,  and  has  been  widely  planted  by  dairy 
men  and  ranchers  throughout  the  group. 

The  most  abundant  pasture  and  lawn  grass  is  the  ma- 
nienie,  or  Bermuda  grass  of  the  Southern  States.  This  is 
a  rapid  grower,  especially  in  cultivated  lands  where  it 
becomes  a  bad  weed.  It  grows  best  from  sea  level  to 
about  2.500  feet  elevation. 

At  elevations  above  2,500  feet  many  of  the  European  and 
American  pasture  grasses  have  been  introduced.  Many 
of  the  grazing  lands  are  now  heavily  stocked  with  English 
and  Italian  Rye  grass,  Kentucky  Blue  grass,  Rescue. 
Smooth  Brome,  White  clover,  Mesquite  and  Red  top,  as 
well  as  with  the  weedy  grasses  and  clovers.  Buffalo  grass, 
which  is  the  same  is  the  St.  Augustine  grass  of  the  South- 
ern States,  is  a  very  valuable  pasture  and  lawn  grass  at 
elevations  from  1,500  to  2,500  feet. 

The  cultivation  of  the  improved  hay  and  pasture  grasses 
and  clovers  is  simply  a  matter  of  the  proper  elevation  and 
rainfall,  and  new  introductions  of  forage  plants  are  con- 
stantly being  made.  There  are  excellent  openings  on  all 
of  the  islands  of  the  group  for  the  cultivation  of  both 
Rhodes  grass  and  alfalfa  for  hay. 

While  the  cultivation  of  wheat  for  hay  has  not  been 
uniformly  successful,  there  are  some  of  the  more  leafy 
varieties  of  dry  land  rices  which  bid  fair  to  form  a  satis- 
factory substitute  for  the  imported  article.  A  crop  of  two 
to  eight  tons  of  hay  can  be  secured  from  an  acre  of  dry 
land  rice  at  least  twice,  and  often  three  times  during  the 
year.  The  cultivation  of  hay  bids  fair  to  be  one  of  the 
most  profitable  of  the  minor  industries  of  Hawaii. 


33 

VANILLA.  The  vanilla  bean  is  the  cured  and  fermented 
fruit  of  a  climbing  orchid.  The  finished  podh 
are  very  dark  brown  or  black,  glossy,  somewhat  wrinkled 
on  the  surface,  from  five  to  eight  inches  long,  and  about 
as  thick  as  a  lead  pencil.  The  vanilla  extract  of  commerce 
is  simply  an  alcoholic  extract. 

The  vanilla  plant  is  grown  either  on  a  trellis  or  is  planted 
at  the  base  of  a  tree  so  that  it  can  clamber  up  the  trunk. 
.  Any  soil  is  suitable,  provided  the  drainage  is  good.  It 
grows  well  in  regions  of  abundant  rainfall  on  the  Kona 
side  of  the  islands.  A  mean  temperature  of  from  65°  to 
75°  F.  gives  good  results. 

The  plants  are  propagated  from  cuttings,  which  are 
simply  lengths  of  the  vine  itself,  from  two  to  six  feet 
long.  The  length  of  the  cutting  has  some  relation  to 
flower  production,  the  longer  ones  yielding  flowers  in  a 
shorter  period.  The  leaves  are  cut  from  the  lower  end 
of  the  cutting  and  the  stripped  portion  of  the  stalk  is  buried 
horizontally  under  two  or  three  inches  of  soil  and  rotting 
leaves.  The  upper  end  of  the  cutting  is  fastened  to  the 
trunk  of  the  supporting  tree  to  which  it  soon  becomes 
tightly  attached  by  its  aerial  roots. 

The  vanilla  plant  begins  to  flowei  during  its  second 
or  third  year  and  continues  flower  production  until  seven 
or  eight  years  old.  Cultivation  consists  in  keeping  down 
the  weeds  and  underbrush  in  the  plantation. 

The  vanilla  plant  only  bears  pods  when  the  flowers  are 
hand  pollinated.  This  is  a  delicate  operation  not  difficult 
to  learn.  Any  one  who  attempts  it  becomes  quickly  pro- 
ficient so  that  a  good  many  flowers  can  be  pollinated  in 
the  course  of  a  day.  The  pod  matures  in  from  six  to  eight 
months,  becoming  hard,  thick  and  greenish-yellow.  They 
are  gathered  before  ripe. 

The  curing  process  is  a  somewhat  complicated  one. 
After  gathering,  the  green  pods  are  spread  out  and  ex- 
posed to  the  air  for  24  hours,  being  roughly  assorted  into 
grades  according  to  size.  After  being  graded,  the  pods 
are  sweated  between  the  folds  of  woolen  blankets  exposed 
to  the  heat  of  direct  sunshine.  During  the  period  of  fer- 
mentation the  pods  turn  dark  brown,  becomes  soft  and 
leathery  and  sweat  freely.  The  pods  are  manipulated  for 
several  days  until  the  proper  degree  of  color  and  aroma 
have  developed.  After  the  fermentation  they  are  dried 
in  the  sun  for  a  few  hours  and  finally  in  cloth  covered 
trays  in  the  shade  with  gentle  heat.  When  fully  dried, 
that  is  when  the  pods  no  longer  lose  weight,  but  are  still 


34 

moist  and  pliable  to  the  touch,  they  are  packed  U&utly 
in  tin  boxes  and  are  again  manipulated  in  bulk  for  one  or 
two  months.  When  completely  cured  the  pods  are  sorted 
to  size  and  color,  tied  in  bundlps  and  these  packages  packed 
in  tin  lined  boxes  which  are  soldered  when  full. 

The  yield  per  acre  in  Hawaii  has  been  estimated  at 
about  13,000  pods,  producing  about  120  pounds  of  finished 
vanilla  beans  fully  cured  and  ready  for  the  market. 

The  industry  is  a  very  profitable  one  for  persons  having 
sufficient  means,  who  will  give  this  industry  their  personal 
supervision.  The  price  of  the  vanilla  bean  depends  as 
much  upon  the  outward  appearance  of  the  finished  product 
as  upon  its  actual  quality  as  indicated  by  aroma  and  flavor. 
Care  is  therefore  necessary  at  every  stage  in  the  growth 
and  fermentation  of  the  crop. 

Five  acres  of  vanilla  in  bearing  should  yield  from  $400 
to  $500  worth  of  beans  per  acre  per  annum  after  the  third 
year.  There  are  vanilla  plantations  in  the  Kona  district 
on  the  island  of  Hawaii  and  in  the  Kona  district  of  Oahu 
uear  Honolulu.  Much  land  is  still  available  which  is  en 
tirely  suitable  for  the  cultivation  of  this  crop. 

TOBACCO.  Tobacco  experiments  conducted  by  the  Ha 
waii  Experiment  Station  have  been  carried  on 
for  four  years  at  a  sub-station  in  the  Hamakua  district  on 
the  island  of  Hawaii.  These  experiments  have  been  mainly 
in  the  production  of  cigar  leaf.  The  results  have  been 
very  favorable,  the  tobacco  produced  being  of  good  color, 
texture,  flavor  and  burn. 

The  tobaccos  of  the  Cuban  type  show  themselves  to  be 
well  adapted  to  cultivation  in  the  Islands  and  it  is  believed 
that  there  is  a  large  acreage  which  will,  in  time,  be 
utilized  in  this  industry.  The  larger  and  more  favorable 
tobacco  districts,  as  indicated  by  the  character  of  the  soil, 
amount  of  rainfall,  and  protection  from  high  winds,  are 
on  the  island  of  Hawaii  in  the  Hamakua,  Olaa,  Puna,  Kau, 
and  Kona  districts.  There  is  a  considerable  area  of  to- 
bacco land  on  Maui  in  the  Makawao  and  Kula  districts 
and  smaller  areas  on  Oahu,  Molokai  and  Kauai.  The 
striking  characteristic  of  all  Hawaiian  tobaccos  is  their 
very  excellent  burning  qualities. 

While  there  is  as  yet  no  cultivation  in  Hawaii  on  a  com- 
mercial scale,  the  outlook  for  the  establishment  of  an  in- 
dustry is  very  good.  While  to  a  certain  extent  a  market 
must  be  created  before  the  production  of  filler  tvpes  qf 
tobacco  is  undertaken  on  a  large  scale,  there  is  sufficient 


35 

demand  for  wrapper  leaf  of  the  better  qualities  to  make 
the  cultivation  of  these  types  of  tobacco  an  assured  suc- 
cess, even  though  the  crop  must  be  marketed  in  open  com- 
petition with  the  leaf  imported  into  the  United  States  from 
Cuba  and  Sumatra.  The  burning  qualities  of  the  Hawaiian 
grown  leaf  will  sell  it  in  any  market.  Should  Hawaiian 
grown  leaf  when  cultivated  on  a  field  scale  show  as  high 
flavor  as  the  Cuban  grown  article,  it  should  not  be  difficult 
to  create  a  market  on  the  Pacific  Coast  which  would  ab- 
sorb all  cf  the  tobacco  produced  in  these  Islands  for  many 
years  to  come.  Hawaii  has  the  advantage  over  either  Cuba 
or  Sumatra  in  that  this  crop  is  heavily  protected,  the  duty 
en  Cuban  fillers  amounting  to  28c,  and  on  other  foreign 
filler,  35c.  There  is  a  protection  of  $1.85  per  pound  on 
wrapper  tobaccos. 

There  are  few  agricultural  products  so  highly  protected 
as  is  tobacco,  yet  with  a  duty  of  $3700  per  ton  against  them 
the  Sumatra  tobacco  growers  sell  annually  4000  tons  of 
wrapper  leaf  to  the  American  consumer.  At  least  a  part 
of  this  ought  to  be  grown  in  Hawaii. 

CORN.  There  is  a  good  market  for  field  corn  in  Hawaii 
at  good  prices.  The  local  production  does  not 
equal  the  demand.  Corn  lands  are  available  in  several 
districts  at  elevations  of  from  2000  to  5000  feet  and  a  num 
ber  of  farmers  and  ranchers  have  undertaken  corn  cultiva 
tion  on  a  larger  scale  than  formerly,  having  adopted  Un- 
proved agricultural  machinery,  new  varieties  and  modern 
methods  of  cultivation  for  the  production  of  this  crop. 

The  cultivation  of  sweet  corn  is  more  general.  This 
vegetable  is  in  the  Honolulu  markets  during  almost  every 
month  in  the  year.  There  is  a  good  opening  for  the  culti- 
vation of  standard  market  varieties  of  sweet  corn  for  ship- 
ment to  the  Pacific  Coast  markets  from  December  until 
June,  during  the  time  of  the  year  when  only  hot-house 
corn  is  on  the  market.  The  local  demand  is  always  good 
at  good  prices,  especially  corn  of  the  improved  types.  Ship- 
ments recently  made  to  San  Francisco  have  brought  an 
average  price  of  about  50  cents  a  dozen  during  December 
and  January.  Sweet  corn  ships  well  in  cold  storage.  As 
stated  above,  it  is  capable  of  production  at  practically  all 
reasons  of  the  year.  Farmers  with  a  knowledge  of  market 
gardening  can  undoubtedly  work  up  a  good  trade  in  the 
growing  and  shipping  of  sweet  corn  without  the  large 
»n\rec?tments  of  capital  required  in  many  other  industries 


36 


VEGETABLES 

The  production  of  garden  vegetables  for  the  local  market 
is  almost  entirely  in  the  hands  of  Chinese  and  Japanese 
gardeners.  However,  as  it  is  a  tendency  on  the  part  of 
most  orientals  to  plant  over  and  over  again  using  seed  of 
their  own  production,  vegetables  of  improved  varieties 
grown  from  imported  seed  find  good  sale  in  competition 
with  the  ordinary  run  of  product  at  fair  prices.  The  clima- 
tic conditions  are  such  that  anyone  who  wishes  to  take 
the  trouble  to  do  so,  can  grow  almost  any  kind  of  garden 
vegetable  excepting  perhaps  celery,  peas,  asparagus  and 
cauliflower,  in  his  own  garden  at  all  seasons  of  the  year. 

Insect  pests  and  plant  diseases  are  as  abundant  in  Ha- 
waii as  anywhere  else,  but  in  Hawaii,  as  elsewhere,  these 
yield  readily  to  the  application  of  scientific  methods  of 
control.  There  are  opportunities  in  Hawaii  for  farmers 
or  market  gardeners  who  will  come,  here  and.  undertake 
the  cultivation  of  garden  vegetables  of  better  than  the 
average  quality.  Cabbages,  beans,  sweet  and  irish  pota- 
toes, green  corn,  lettuce,  parsley,  tomatoes,  beets  and 
cnions  grow  as  well  in  Hawaii  as  anywhere  else. 

Vegetables  of  the  melon  and  squash  family  are  subject 
to  injury  by  a  fruit  fly  which  stings  and  lays  its  eggs  in 
the  young  fruits  or  in  the  stalks,  but  even  this  pest  can 
be  successfully  controlled.  Excellent  celery  and  cauli- 
flower are  grown  at  elevations  above  2000  feet.  Sweet 
corn  is  in  the  Honolulu  market  the  year  round. 

There  are  oportunities  for  farmers  to  come  here  and 
undertake  thep  cultivation  of  potatoes,  onions  and  cab- 
bages, very  large  amounts  of  each  of  these  vegetables 
being  brought  to  the  islands  every  year  from  the  Main- 
land, or  even  from  Australia.  The  success  of  market  gar- 
dening enterprises  of  this  character  would  depend  on  the 
ability  of  the  farmer  to  produce  a  uniform  supply  at  all 
seasons  of  the  year,  and  the  climatic  conditions  are  such 
that  this  is  entirely  practicable.  The  local  consumer  pre- 
fers island  products  to  those  which  are  brought  in  from 
the  Mainland.  About  $150,000  worth  of  vegetables  are 
shipped  into  Honolulu  every  year,  the  larger  proportion 
of  which  could  be  produced  locally,  and  undoubtedly  some- 
time .will  be,  whenever  the  producer  undertakes  to  supply 
crops  of  any  one  of  these  vegetables  in  succession  through- 
out the  year. 


37 

Many  of  the  diseases  affecting  garden  vegetables  in  cold- 
er climates  attack  crops  grown  here.  All  of  the  diseases 
and  pests  are  capable  of  control. 

SWEET  POTATOES.  Almost  all  of  the  sweet  potatoes 
used  on  the  Pacific  Coast  are  grown 
in  California.  The  opening  of  the  season  is  about  the 
middle  of  August  and  i.  continues  until  about  April  15th. 
When  they  first  appear  on  the  market  the  prices  are  very 
high,  from  $60  to  $80  per  ton  wholesale,  and  about  double 
that  price  when  they  finally  reach  the  consumer.  In  the 
latter  part  of  the  season  the  sweet  potatoes  which  are  on 
the  market  are  those  which  have  been  stored  for  a  long 
time  and  are  of  indifferent  quality.  The  Coast  markets 
are  bare  of  sweet  potatoes  from  April  15th  or  earlier,  until 
about  the  middle  of  August.  The  market  demands  a  white 
or  light  yellow,  dry  potato  of  medium  size.  The  standard 
create  for  shipping  sweet  potatoes  contains  about  100 
pounds  and  is  of  light  material. 

There  is  a  business  opportunity  for  some  one  who  under- 
stands sweet  potato  growing  to  undertake  the  cultivation 
of  the  sweet  potato  in  Hawaii,  with  a  view  to  meeting  the 
large  demand  in  the  Pacific  Coast  markets  at  off  seasons. 
Sweet  potatoes  grow  the  year  round  in  Hawaii.  It  is  a 
crop  which,  under  native  methods,  receives  little  care. 
Yields  are  large  and  would  be  larger  were  better  prepara- 
tion given  the  land  and  more  care  taken  of  the  crop  during 
its  growing  period.  Yields  of  from  5  to  8  tons  of  sweet 
potatoes  are  not  unusual.  This  is  a  small  farm  industry 
which  will  undoubtedly  yield  immediate  and  large  returns 
if  undertaken  under  the  proper  conditions. 

ADVANTAGES  AND  DISADVANTAGES. 

The  farmers  of  Hawaii,  in  common  with  those  of  all 
other  countries,  will  be  confronted  by  serious  obstacles, 
which  must  be  overcome.  One  of  the  most  serious  pro- 
blems is  that  of  controlling  the  many  injurious  insects. 
As  in  all  other  tropical  countries,  insects  are  much  in 
evidence.  The  pests  in  Hawaii  are  almost  entirely  forms 
which  have  been  introduced  from  other  countries.  The 
principal  insects  injurious  to  fruits  are  the  scale-insects, 
mealy  bugs  and  related  species.  The  sugar  planters  have 
to  contend  with  a  cane-borer,  a  leaf-hopper,  mole  crickets, 
and  others  of  a  more  or  less  destructive  nature.  Plant - 
lice,  cut-worms,  melon-flies,  and  various  leaf-eating  beetles. 


38 

attack  garden  and  field  crops.  Grapes,  ornamental  trees 
and  shrubs  suffer  from  Japanese  beetles  and  Fuller's  rose 
beetle.  However,  it  is  well  to  remember  that  the  use  of 
direct,  active  measures  of  control  will  keep  these  pests 
in  check  in  Hawaii  just  as  similar  methods  are  used  against 
insect  pests  on  the  Mainland.  It  is  certain  that  precau- 
tionary methods,  the  use  of  insecticides  and  cultivation 
based  on  the  habits  and  life-history  of  the  insects  will  con- 
tribute to  their  control. 

Other  drawbacks  are  the  high  winds  that  are  prevalent 
during  the  winter  or  rainy  season.  These  often  cause  loss 
or  injury  to  vegetables  and  annual  crops  but  are  not  con- 
sidered serious  in  relation  to  the  cultivation  of  perennials. 

As  in  newer  countries  a  number  of  settlers  living  to- 
gether as  a  community  will  do  better  than  the  same  people 
in  isolated  locations.  Whatever  drawbacks  there  may  be, 
those  now  living  in  the  Islands  have  faith  that  they  are 
only  such  as  can  be  easily  overcome. 

The  College  of  Agriculture  and  Mechanic  Arts  of 
Hawaii,  an  institution  of  the  same  scope  and  char- 
acter as  the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  Colleges  of 
the  Mainland,  has  been  established  and  is  now  in  opera- 
tion. The  Territory  maintains  an  efficient  Board  of  Agri- 
culture and  Forestry  in  charge  of  quarantine  measures  to 
regulate  and  prevent  the  introduction  of  serious  insect 
pests  and  fungus  diseases  to  cultivated  crops,  diseases  of 
bees,  and  diseases  of  domestic  animals.  This  Board  also 
exercises  administration  over  the  extensive  forest  reserves 
set  apart  on  every  island  of  the  group. 

The  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  maintains 
the  Hawaii  Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  an  institution 
of  equal  scope  with  that  of  any  other  state  or  territory. 
There  is  also  a  representative  of  this  Department  in  charge 
of  the  execution  of  the  Pure  Food  Law  and  an  observer 
in   connection   with  the   Weather  Bureau. 

The  Hawaiian  Sugar  Planters'  Association  maintains,  at 
its  own  expense,  an  Experiment  Station  devoted  to  the 
interests  of  the  sugar  industry  along  the  lines  of  chemical 
investigation  and  control,  manufacture  and  mill  work,  and 
the  control  of  the  insect  pests  and  fungus  diseases  of  cane. 
This  Station  is  one  of  the  best  equipped  in  all  the  tropical 
world.  The  results  of  its  investigations  of  Hawaii's  lead- 
ing industry  have  been  enormously  profitable  to  the  sugar 
planters. 

The  Farmers'  Institute  of  Hawaii,  an  organization  in 
connection  with  the  College  of  Agriculture,  holds  quarterly 


39_ 

meetings  on  the  island  of  Oahu.  The  Territory  is  better 
equipped  in  men,  libraries  and  materials  for  scientific  re- 
search, investigation  and  experiment  for  the  benefit  of 
agriculture  than  many  of  the  older  and  wealthier  states  and 
territories. 

Tropical  agriculture  differs  from  that  of  the  Temperate 
Zone,  in  one  important  particular,  which  is  that  most  of 
the  tropical  crops  are  perennials  and  that  most  tropical 
products  require  manufacture  before  being  salable.  A 
farmer  who  grows  wheat  or  corn  or  apples  can  sell  his 
product  immediately  without  any  manufacturing  process 
whatever.  This  is  not  true  of  tropical  products.  Tobacco 
is  not  salable  until  it  has  been  fermented;  sugar  must  be 
extracted  from  the  cane  by  expensive  and  intricate  milling 
processes;  vanilla,  coffee,  sisal  and  almost  every  other 
paying  crop  require  a  larger  investment  of  capital  than 
would  be  necessary  for  an  equal  acreage  of  any  temperate 
zone  crop,  because  of  the  manipulation  required  to  trans- 
form the  raw  material  into  a  finished  marketable  article. 
Furthermore,  the  time  limit  adds  to  the  necessity  for 
larger  investment,  in  that  most  tropical  crops  cannot  be 
harvested  in  a  short  season.  One  must  wait  three  years 
for  vanilla,  two  or  three  years  for  sugar,  two  years  for 
pineapples,  and  four  or  five  for  coffee,  rubber  and  sisal. 
Tobacco,  which  in  its  cultivation  is  an  annual,  cannot  be 
marketed  in  less  than  fifteen  months  because  of  the  curing 
and  fermentation  the  leaf  must  undergo.  It  is  absolutely 
essential  that  the  prospective  settler  should  have  sufficient 
resources  or  credit  to  carry  himself  and  family  through 
these  unproductive  years.  Business  ability  is  as  important 
as  knowledge  of  agricultural  methods. 

JARED  G.  SMITH, 
Special  Agent  in  charge  of  Hawaii  Agricultural 
Experiment  Station. 
Honol  lu,  T.  H.,  May  1st,  1908. 


GENERAL  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA— BERKELEY 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

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# 
/ 


* 


asms 

JAN  22  (959 


REPD  LD 


LD  21-100m-l,'54(1887sl6)476 

MUINULULU,    rf  M  WV  Ml  I 


YB  45386 


M150931 

5  A^n 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CAUFORNIA  LIBRARY 


